Democrats are aiming to flip one of Texas’ U.S. Senate seats for the first time since 1988.
Front-runners for the Democratic nomination, Texas Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, debated for the first time in Georgetown, Texas, on Saturday. Democratic primary voters will decide between the two candidates on March 3.
During the hour-long debate put on by the Texas American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, both candidates were asked about their stances on immigration, foreign aid, affordability and their electability.
Electability
Both candidates said flipping the seat held by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is important, but each candidate said they will approach their campaigns differently. Talarico, a former public school teacher, said he will focus on winning in November and stopping Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running against Cornyn for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, from taking the seat.
“In this debate, you’re going to see that Congresswoman Crockett and I agree on a whole lot more than we disagree on, and that unity is a threat to the billionaires who want to pit us all against each other,” Talarico said.
Crockett, a former civil rights attorney, said the seat needs someone who can be a “street fighter, ” arguing that she is the best fit because she listens to people’s stories and is not “just sitting in D.C.”
“This isn’t about games,” Crockett said. “It’s not about who sounds as clean as possible. It is about tapping into the rawness of this moment.”
Immigration
The two candidates focused their attention on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency that enforces immigration law, and President Donald Trump’s administration. If elected to the Senate, the two candidates could vote on the agency’s operating budget.
Talarico called ICE a “secret police force,” and said the agency should focus on public safety. He also said he would want agency funding distributed to health care and community services.
Crockett, who recently voted against a spending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that included funding for ICE, said that the agency is not following the law. Crockett said the agency’s deployment in U.S. cities was the reason she voted against the funding bill.
“This is the fifth-highest-funded military force in the entire world, and what are they doing?” Crockett said. “They decided to execute a mother of three in broad daylight. I don’t understand how we are sitting here and acting like this is normal.”
Foreign Policy
The two discussed federal funding to Israel. Crockett said Congress should not authorize ammunition and funding to Israel because she thinks there is evidence of a violation of international law.
Talarico said Israel has the right to defend itself, but said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not have the right to wage war against civilians or use collective punishment.
Affordability
Both candidates spoke about lowering tariffs as a policy to lower costs for Texans. Texas was the top exporting state in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but tariffs are causing small businesses to close, Crockett said.
Talarico said the Trump administration’s tariffs must be repealed to lower grocery store prices. He also said he wanted to put caps on the cost of life-saving drugs, reduce child care costs and lower housing costs.
