Rep. Jasmine Crockett conceded Wednesday morning to state Rep. James Talarico in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, a day after arguing the race could not yet be called because of a legal dispute over voting precinct hours in Dallas County.
“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett said in a statement. “With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett conceded Wednesday morning to state Rep. James Talarico in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, a day after arguing the race could not yet be called because of a legal dispute over voting precinct hours in Dallas County.
The two-term House lawmaker had left her election night event early Tuesday, cautioning supporters that final results would not be available amid confusion over which ballots would ultimately be counted. Crockett said thousands of votes in her Dallas County home base were in question after dueling court rulings created uncertainty about poll closing times.
The dispute began after the state Democratic Party reported that voters were being turned away from precincts, allegedly due to confusion over new county rules implemented after Republicans opted out of a joint agreement that had allowed voters to cast ballots at any location. A state judge ordered polls to remain open for two additional hours in Dallas County, citing “mass confusion.”
But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also seeking the GOP Senate nomination, asked the Texas Supreme Court to block the extension. The court quickly intervened, directing election officials to segregate ballots cast by voters who entered the line after the original 7 p.m. closing time.
Crockett told supporters Tuesday night that the campaign had been gathering accounts and evidence of voters being turned away, describing the situation at one polling site as nearly “one to one” between those denied and those permitted to vote. Talarico also called for extended polling hours and, in remarks around midnight, said “every vote must be counted.”
The contentious primary, marked by racial undertones and questions about electability, now gives way to a broader general election fight in a state long defined by battles over voting rights.
