
Colbert pull puts Texas Senate primary in sharper focus
The Texas U.S. Senate primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico is intensifying as a Colbert interview is pulled, attracting increased national attention and fundraising to the race.
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The Texas U.S. Senate primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico is intensifying as a Colbert interview is pulled, attracting increased national attention and fundraising to the race.

Stephen Colbert claimed CBS did not air his interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico because network lawyers warned it could trigger the FCC's equal-time rule; the network instead released the interview on YouTube with on-air promotion to avoid providing equal-time opportunities to other candidates. The episode underscores ongoing FCC scrutiny of broadcasters and political coverage.

Texas’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary was jolted by a dispute over race after James Talarico allegedly described Colin Allred as a “mediocre Black man,” a remark amplified by Allred and rejected by Crockett as inaccurate. Talarico said the description was a mischaracterization and that he praised Crockett while criticizing Allred’s campaigning method. The controversy thrust race and electability into the spotlight ahead of the March 3 primary, as national Democrats watch closely, fundraising signals shift, and endorsements split between the candidates in a closely watched race.

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a US Senate candidate, denied a TikTok-revealed claim that he called his former rival Colin Allred a 'mediocre Black man.' Allred endorsed Thompson after the allegation, accusing Talarico of feeding backlash over identity politics as the Democratic primary heats up ahead of the March 3 election.
An Emerson College poll shows James Talarico leading Jasmine Crockett 47%–38% in the Texas Senate Democratic primary, while Ken Paxton narrowly leads John Cornyn 27%–26% on the GOP side, with a likely May 26 runoff. Voters cite the economy as the top issue, and the survey highlights demographic splits in support across groups.

State Rep. James Talarico raised $6.2 million in three weeks for his Texas Senate bid, surpassing his rival Colin Allred's three-month total of $4.1 million, establishing him as a strong contender early in the race with broad grassroots support.
Talarico, an eighth-generation Texan, has officially entered the Texas Senate primary, challenging the political establishment and aiming to mobilize Democratic voters in a traditionally Republican state, with his campaign gaining national attention and setting up a significant test for red-state Democratic candidates.