The March 3 Democratic Senate primary battle between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico is heating up, thanks in part to an influencer’s claim that Talarico praised Crockett while disparaging former primary opponent Colin Allred in an unrecorded conversation.
Podcaster and TikTok content creator Morgan Thompson on Sunday alleged that Talarico, told her in an off-the-record comment that he “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent Black woman.”
The purported comments were unrecorded, and Talarico responded to Thompson’s report on Monday, calling the wording a “mischaracterization.”
“In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race,” Talarico said in a statement.
Allred, who’s now running to reclaim a seat in the U.S. House, failed to garner much interest with his Senate race, trailing both Talarico and Crockett before dropping out. This lackluster performance mirrored his 2024 run against Ted Cruz, suggesting Talarico’s alleged charge of “mediocre campaigning” might not be far off the mark.
Allred also missed crucial moments to raise his profile. During the heated gerrymandering backlash of the summer, Allred was largely absent until the end, even though he’s a civil rights lawyer.
“As a Black man in America, Congressman Allred has had to work twice as hard to get where he is,” Talarico continued in his Monday statement. “I understand how my critique of the Congressman’s campaign could be interpreted given this country’s painful legacy of racism, and I care deeply about the impact my words have on others.”
“I have always said that, despite our disagreements, I deeply respect Congressman Allred,” Talarico added. “We’re all on the same team.”
But Allred had already responded to the influencer’s accusation with a Sunday video, insinuating Talarico’s alleged statement stemmed from insecurity.
“Because I know you’re not talking about somebody who’s been better at three things than you’ve ever been at one,” said Allred, a former NFL linebacker who worked in the Obama administration.
In 2018, Allred flipped red North Texas Congressional District 32 by defeating U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, and won reelection twice. He ran for Senate in 2024, losing to Ted Cruz before deciding to run for Senate again against John Cornyn.
After dropping out of that Senate race, Allred is now chasing the open U.S. House seat in Texas’ 33rd Congressional District of Texas.
In his video, Allred offered Talarico “free advice,” telling the state rep he shouldn’t criticize a Black man in order to compliment a Black woman.
“We’ve seen that play before,” Allred said. ‘We’re sick and tired of it. We’re tired of folks using praise for Black women to mask criticism for Black men.”
In a statement, Crockett described Allred as an “even-tempered and measured person” who was speaking to a larger issue in his video defending himself.
“It was a moment that he decided to stand for all people who have been targeted and talked about in a demeaning way as our country continues to be divided,” Crockett said.
Allred ended his video by urging voters to vote for Crockett.
“I wasn’t gonna get involved in this race,” Allred said. “But listen, don’t come for me unless I send for you, OK, James? And keep my name out of your mouth while you’re at it.”
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