Black voters were upset with James Talarico. What he did about it could decide the Senate.

Democrat James Talarico, the Texas state lawmaker who won his party's Senate nomination over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, entered the general election against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton with a weakness among Black voters. Their support matters because Talarico is trying to become the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988, and polling averages compiled by FiftyPlusOne now give him a 3.5-point edge, according to MS NOW.

The primary turned bitter, mostly online, and many Black Texans, especially the Black women who anchor Democratic turnout in Dallas and Houston, had backed Crockett. In June, a University of Texas poll had Talarico at 67% among Black voters, far short of what he would need. Crockett endorsed him the morning after the primary but did not campaign with him. Content creators Camille McCallum and Olive Okoro, both Crockett supporters reaching millions of followers, said they would vote for him anyway. McCallum objected that his team had sent no word to them and that some of his supporters had directed racist and sexist abuse at her friends. By October, the same poll showed his Black support at 79%. MS NOW attributes the change to door-to-door work, influencer outreach, spending and a humble style.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →