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A recent rebuke by U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico of his own supporters who attacked U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett went viral as he works to mobilize support from Black voters in Texas.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett appeared to respond to Texas State Rep. James Talarico after the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee gave a blistering rebuke of his supporters who have disparaged the popular congresswoman.
Talarico, who defeated Crockett in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in March, stood before mostly Black voters in Houston on Sunday for a town hall, where he defended Crockett against at times intense criticisms.
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“If you claim to be my supporter, if you claim to be a part of this movement that we are building, please keep Congresswoman Crockett’s name out of your mouth,” said Talarico, to applause.
After the Texas U.S. Senate nominee’s remarks went viral, Crockett appeared to react with some humor.
“I’m probably about to make a shocking endorsement 😂. Some of the trolls gonna be hella mad! Stay tuned 🤣😅. I’m checking on a few more things, but I don’t know how I sit this one out!” Crockett wrote on Monday.
It’s unclear if Crockett was exactly talking about Talarico, whom she urged voters to support immediately after conceding the primary contest. However, the timing suggests so. For months, Crockett faced criticisms from some Democratic voices for not doing enough to bolster Talarico’s campaign as he heads into a highly competitive general election against Republican nominee Ken Paxton.
Crockett’s decision not to attend the Texas Democratic convention only further fueled chatter that there was still perhaps some bad blood between Crockett and Talarico. However, Crockett said she was instead focused on supporting down-ballot candidates to strengthen the overall Democratic ticket in November.
On Sunday, Talarico sought to put those criticisms and speculation to rest, telling Houston voters that Crockett has been a “friend” since their time working together in the Texas State House of Representatives.
“She doesn’t need to be doing any of this, but she is recruiting, supporting, fundraising for down-ballot candidates all over this state, all over this country, and that is how we’re going to win,” he said. “If the congresswoman can turn some of her star power onto these races that don’t get enough attention, that’s a game changer.”
Not everyone appeared happy with Talarico’s rebuke.
Progressive commentator and political strategist Keith Edwards took to social media following Talarico’s comments, writing, “I was made aware that James Talarico was asked to ‘rebuke’ me at a campaign event today.”
“All for the crime of having an opinion during a primary — that Jasmine Crockett didn’t have the right strategy to win Texas — and then defending myself when I was called racist for having that opinion,” he continued. “I hope Texas dems get serious. This is embarrassing.”
However, many praised Talarico for standing up for Crockett, characterizing it as the epitome of leadership.
Actress Kerry Washington, who is frequently politically engaged, commented on theGrio’s post of Talarico’s comments: “I looooooove me some @jasmineforus AND I am a true fan of @jamestalarico – for these comments and for sooooo many others – he’s a real one.”
Still, Talarico has work to do in mobilizing Black voters in Texas. The Democratic nominee has committed $25 million specifically to Black voter outreach as part of the campaign’s attempt to close that gap ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
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