The first primary day of the 2026 midterm elections was marked by legal battles and allegations of voter suppression in Texas, as Representative Jasmine Crockett claimed Dallas County was “specifically targeted” by Republicans before losing her Senate primary bid.
The friction began Tuesday when the Texas Supreme Court intervened to halt an order that would have extended voting hours in the Democratic stronghold until 10 p.m. EST.
The high court’s block followed an appeal by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued he had not received proper notice of the initial ruling. Reports of widespread confusion among voters at polling sites had prompted the original request for more time.
During a campaign event Tuesday evening, Crockett alleged that the legal maneuver was a calculated move to suppress the vote in a key area.
“Knowing that Dallas County is a big dump of votes, we, in my opinion, will not know the election results overall tonight,” Crockett said. “Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And, so, they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why.”
Crockett further stated that she believed voters had been “disenfranchised” by the sudden closure of the polls. Despite these concerns, election results were finalized, showing State Representative James Talarico defeating Crockett in the Democratic Senate primary.
Talarico secured 52.8% of the vote compared to Crockett’s 45.9%. Following the news, Crockett reportedly left her election night watch party early.
On Wednesday morning, Crockett took to X to confirm she had called Talarico to congratulate him.
“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” she wrote. “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win.”
The claims of targeting drew sharp rebukes from across the aisle. Republican State Representative James Frank posted a seemingly sarcastic response on X, writing, “so apparently Republicans cheated Crockett out of the Democratic nomination… hard to make this stuff up!!”
Meanwhile, Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham issued a statement criticizing the Democratic choice, saying, “By nominating James Talarico, Texas Democrats have once again chosen a Far-Left liberal who is wildly out of step with Lone Star voters.”
Talarico, looking forward to the general election, posted on Wednesday that Democrats are “about to take back Texas.” While the Democratic field is now set, the Republican side remains in flux as Attorney General Paxton and incumbent Senator John Cornyn prepare for a runoff.
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