Things kicked off when Morgan Thompson, a Dallas-based content creator focused on Texas politics, recounted a story to her more than 185,000 TikTok followersregarding an off-the-record meeting she had with Talarico about the Democratic primary on January 12. Thompson claimed that during their conversation, Talarico made an offensive comment comparing Crockett to Allred, a former representative whom Talarico was initially running against. (Allred, who dropped his bid after Crockett entered the race, was also Texas’s Democratic Senate nominee in 2024, losing to Ted Cruz, and is now running for Congress again.)
“Talarico told me that he signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable and intelligent Black woman,” Thompson said in a video posted on Sunday.
Thompson explained that she initially supported Talarico over Allred but expressed concern after his campaign pushed out a fundraising appeal under the name of James Carville, the storied political consultant who authored a New York Times op-ed last year looking to warn Democrats against embracing what he called “performative woke politics.”
“I’m always going to advocate for Black people ’cause I don’t care about how much you talk about affordability, housing, health care, whatever. If ‘woke politics’ is not included in that — which directly impacts Black people — then we’re left out of that conversation and policy,” Thompson said.
Thompson said she reached out to the campaign and shared her concerns to a staffer, who offered her the chance to speak with Talarico one-on-one about the issue. In a subsequent video, Thompson said her conversation with Talarico had been going well and that the comment came as talk turned to which offices the various candidates could have run for besides the Senate. Thompson acknowledged that she doesn’t have a recording of their conversation. She has since endorsed Crockett’s campaign and said the representative was not involved in her decision to speak about her interaction with Talarico.
Talarico-campaign spokesman J.T. Ennis confirmed to CNN that Thompson and Talarico did meet in Plano, adding that “the Talarico campaign works with lots of creators in Texas to keep them updated on the campaign.”
The Texas Legislature won’t be back in session until 2027.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesma
USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas Senate District 9 candidates Republican Leigh Wambsganss and Democrat Taylor Rehmet have been opponents for seven months — and it’ll stay that way until November.
They both announced their candidacy in June. But because they are vying for the remainder of Kelly Hancock’s term, Wambsganss and Rehmet still have 10 months to go until they are no longer ballot opponents.
Neither garnered 50% of the votes in the original face-off back in November 2025, but they knocked Republic John Huffman, former Southlake Mayor, out of the race.
Whoever wins the runoff election Saturday will hold the office until January 2027, when the November general election winner takes over. There’s no one else in the race, so many voters will have a sense of déjà vu at the ballot box.
Over the next few months, the Texas Legislature is not slated to be in session.
Rehmet said he would hold a listening tour to build relationships in the district, which covers most of Tarrant County, so that he has “ready-to-file legislation.”
In the interim, Wambsganss said she’d similarly prepare for the 2027 session in the same questionnaire. She would ready her office by hiring staff and touch base with constituents and stakeholders to have proposed legislation ready to file before the end of the year.
The top priorities for Wambsganss ahead of the 90th legislative session is ensuring the Texas infrastructure is ready to accommodate growth. She also said she would take steps to secure the border.
Follow along with the Star-Telegram to see who will be the incumbent in November.
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett greets well-wishers at Nana’s Kitchen in Fort Worth, Texas, Dec. 21, 2025. She is accompanied by staffer Kendyll Locke.
Bud Kennedy
bud@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH
The battle for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate is coming soon to a mailbox near you.
But so far, it’s been waged somewhere unusual for Texas Democrats: in churches.
Both U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin have taken their campaigns to churches, the first stops on a breakneck rush to Feb. 17 and the start of voting in the March 3 party primaries.
It is not unusual to see Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and frequent guest preacher, deliver a sermon like he did Dec. 14 at Central Presbyterian in downtown Austin.
We see Crockett, a lawyer who represents south Dallas and southeast Tarrant County, more on national TV news. She’s usually delivering saltier comments and litigating the case against Congress, the current Washington leadership and President Donald Trump.
“I know I may have a potty mouth here and there, but my dad is a preacher,” Crockett said Sunday.
She was meeting reporters at a restaurant in far east Fort Worth after visiting worship at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, New Breed Christian Center and Pilgrim Valley Missionary Baptist Church.
“All the civil rights movements were born in the Black church,” she said, “and right now, we are definitely in a moment where we need a movement.
“ … So that is why, absolutely, as many Sundays as I get, I’ll most likely be in church praising God and meeting people.”
Don’t get me wrong.
It is not unusual for a Presbyterian seminarian and a United Methodist pastor’s daughter to be in church on Sunday.
But it is unusual for rival Texas Democrats to make religion a front-and-center part of their campaigns.
The three recent Democratic nominees for Senate — Beto O’Rourke, M.J. Hegar and Colin Allred — did not mention church or faith prominently.
O’Rourke did talk occasionally about the Roman Catholic church’s power, and Allred talked about his days at Southern Baptist-affiliated Baylor University.
It’s clear already that no matter whether Crockett or Talarico is the nominee, this campaign won’t be like those.
In his sermon in Austin, Talarico preached about Christ’s message of love — as in “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” — and support for those on the margins of society.
“Do you know people who love Jesus and don’t seem to love anyone else?” Talarico was quoted as saying by the Houston Chronicle.
“That kind of religion that says you can treat people however you want, as long as you have a personal relationship with Jesus, is an abomination. It is a cancer on the body of Christ.”
Crockett isn’t a preacher like Talarico. But she can also talk liberation gospel.
That contrasts with Republican frontrunner Ken Paxton’s message about martyrdom — his own — and how Christians should resist Islamist governance.
At Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Crockett apologized to worshippers up front, saying, “You know it’s political season when the candidates show up.”
She delivered completely different messages in the Fort Worth churches but focused on having a U.S. senator “putting people first” for Texans who feel like their votes don’t count.
“We have two senators that were elected to represent 30 million people,” she told reporters later, “but they have decided that they only want to represent the 1-percenters.”
Crockett said faith isn’t a major theme of her campaign: “It’s just who I am. … I’ve got to remain true to who I am and my roots, and so my faith is a part of that.”
The road to the Democratic Senate nomination runs through a lot of town squares.
And down some center aisles.
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This story was originally published December 27, 2025 at 4:31 AM.
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Bud Kennedy is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram opinion columnist. In a 54-year Texas newspaper career, he has covered two Super Bowls, a presidential inauguration, seven national political conventions and 19 Texas Legislature sessions.. Support my work with a digital subscription
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker speaks during a vigil for the Hill Country flood victims on Monday, July 14, 2025, at Fort Worth City Hall.
Amanda McCoy
amccoy@star-telegram.com
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and former Mayor Betsy Price are supporting U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as he seeks reelection.
Cornyn is running for his fifth Senate term in the March 2026 Republican primary, which includes Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.
Cornyn’s campaign announced the endorsements Friday morning.
Price touted Cornyn’s “impeccable record during his time in office,” and Parker called him “a loyal friend and valued partner to Fort Worth,” in statements.
“From strengthening public safety and expanding economic opportunity to solving critical infrastructure issues, he is a principled, results-first leader,” Parker said. “John is a man of integrity who stands up for Texas values and advances priorities that help our families and communities thrive. I’m proud to endorse him for re-election.”
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
.JPG "The Texas Legislature won’t be back in session until 2027.")
