Democrats Talarico, Crockett Set First Debate
The first debate in the state’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is set for Jan. 24 in Georgetown, The Dallas Morning News reported. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock are vying for the nomination.
The seat is now held by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces two major opponents in the GOP primary: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston. Cornyn is seeking his fifth term.
The Georgetown debate is sponsored by the Texas AFLCIO. Crockett is stressing her standing as the race’s progressive and hopes to inspire left-leaning voters to turn out in November if she wins the nomination. Talarico is emphasizing electability, noting he flipped a Republican district to get elected state representative and saying Democrats need a nominee able to compete statewide.
Early voting in the March 3 Democratic primary begins Feb. 17.
White Drops Bid to Take on Abbott
Andrew White has dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor and has thrown his support behind state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, who is widely seen as the frontrunner, according to the Houston Chronicle. The crowded Democratic primary has 10 candidates vying to take on Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term.
Abbott has $90 million in his campaign war chest and faces only token opposition his party’s primary.
Besides Hinojosa, who has served in the Legislature since 2017, the primary field also includes Chris Bell, a former Houston congressman and gubernatorial nominee, and Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter.
White is the son of former Gov. Mark White. He ran for governor in 2018, coming up six percentage points short in his Democratic primary race against former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. She lost handily to Abbott that year in the general election.
500 Miles of Buoys to Be Added to Rio Grande
In a move to increase border security, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to add floating buoys along more than 500 miles of the Rio Grande, The Texas Tribune reported. Secretary Kristi Noem announced the deployment last week while visiting Rio Grande Valley. The state of Texas deployed 1,000 feet of the water barrier along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass in 2023 and added another 1,000 feet in January 2025. “Texas finally has a partner in the White House,”Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary forAbbott, said in a statement Wednesday. “The floating marine barriers deployed by Texas have been a resounding success, and Gov.Abbott is proud to work with the Trump Administration and Border Patrol to expand the program.”
Under the Biden administration, the federal government sued Texas over the buoys, citing migrant safety and saying that they violated water treaties between U.S. and Mexico. That case is still before the courts.
“They’ll create a safer environment for agents on patrol, and securing our waterways not only protects Americans, it saves the lives of illegal aliens by deterring them from daring to attempt to cross through this treacherous water,” Noem said.