DAVID MARCUS: Texas primary exposes media effort to help Talarico, sideline Crockett
Over the past two weeks, the liberal media has been boosting Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in ways rarely seen in a state primary, including what critics call misleading coverage and manipulation.Â
But his opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, known for being outspoken, is not going away quietly.
It all started Feb. 16, when late-night political pundit Stephen Colbert falsely claimed the Trump administration and CBS had banned an interview with Talarico from airing. It never happened. Colbert later acknowledged the segment was satirical, but the controversy helped raise $2.5 million for the candidate and elevate his national stature.
At that time, Crockett had a firm, if not overwhelming, lead in the polls. Since then, without any major endorsements from elected Democrats, Talarico has been treated like a golden boy by liberal media outlets ranging from the far-left outlet The Nation to The New York Times.
But some voters I talked to in Dallas this weekend said they aren’t buying the hype.
I typically do not describe the skin color of people I talk to for my columns. It rarely has relevance. But in the case of Cedric, who is Black and works for the sanitation department cleaning parks, I made an exception because he brought it up.
“They don’t think the Black woman can win,” he told me, referring to what he sees as the media’s preference for the White Talarico. “But everyone I know is voting for her, and the unions are. Don’t count that woman out.”
It brought to mind a recent viral video clip of a White woman in Texas who was literally crying because she loves Crockett but thought she had to vote for Talarico based on electability. The overwhelming emotion she felt was almost certainly shame at the idea of betraying a Black woman for the would-be greater good.
And I found evidence that these scare tactics from the Democratic media might be working.
One Democrat voter in his 70s told me Sunday he had still not made up his mind, but, “I like what I see in the Talarico ads, and it seems many people think he has the best shot. Guess I have some thinking to do.”
CROCKETT BLASTS ‘LEFT’ FOR ALLEGED SKIN DARKENING IN ADS AS TEXAS SENATE CLASH HEATS UP
Adding to the general sense of confusion over this Senate primary is the fact that the polling has been as schizophrenic as Dr. Jekyll. One day last week, two polls came out, one with Talarico up 12 points, the other with Crockett up 12 points. What is anyone supposed to do with that?
Rep. James Talarico appears with Stephen Colbert on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” in New York Feb. 16, 2026. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
The only way this kind of polling gap can happen, short of intentional manipulation — of which there is no evidence — is if these pollsters have wildly different ideas about what the makeup of the electorate will be, which is the subjective side of that particular social science.
The polling averages have pushed Talarico into a slight lead, heralded at every turn by liberal commentators on TV celebrating the shift. But, on the ground, this supposed wind at Talarico’s back is harder to feel.
Cindy, in her 20s, who is a barista, told me, “I don’t trust the polls at all. I just vote for who I think is best.” In classic Texas tight-lipped style, she declined to tell me who that was.
The conventional wisdom here in Texas is that Talarico has done enough to get over the top. I even heard this from GOP operatives. But, importantly, the people crafting that conventional wisdom all seem to be on Team Talarico.
Texas State Rep. James Talarico, D-Travis, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, shake hands. (Bob Daemmrich/Getty Images)
As the results come in on Tuesday night, there is an important side bet to watch as well, because Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed Crockett, a risk for a woman with a pretty wide lead in the 2028 primary polling.
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Believe me when I say that the very same left-leaning news anchors and producers who are criticizing Crockett’s campaign want Harris nowhere near the top of the ’28 ticket. But does Kamala know something they don’t?
This primary in Texas is now, among other things, a test of the power of the liberal mainstream media. They are all in on Talarico. A Crockett win would expose just how little influence the former giants of news now have.
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The good news for Democrats is that both Talarico and Crockett have pledged to support the other should they lose, which is nice but may not heal the divides.
At some point, Democratic voters, especially Black voters, will grow tired of being forced to always vote for the nice, plain White guy in tight races. It is, at bottom, an illogical effort to fight racism with racism, and its center may not hold.
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