There’s a showdown in Texas on Tuesday to choose the Democrat who will run for the U.S. Senate from that state. Texas voters choosing to participate in the Democratic primary have a choice between the dynamic firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett and the soft-spoken but eloquent state Rep. James Talarico to take on not only whoever the Republican nominee is, but also try to put an end to a 30-year streak of Democrats losing statewide elections in Texas.
Though you may not know it, given the online chatter and commentary from national pundits with no on-the-ground knowledge of Texas, Democratic primary voters there are actually very excited about their choices. Crockett’s favorables are slightly higher than Talarico’s, but both are well liked. In Talarico and Crockett, we see avatars of the two main strategies Democratic campaigns have employed over the last 20 years. Should the party seek the median voter, hold the base and flip Republicans? That’s what Talarico claims he can do. Or should the party focus on firing up the base and converting non-voters into voters, which is Crockett’s strategy?
This is a preview of Jason Johnson’s latest column. Read the full column here.
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