The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party centers on the Texas Senate primary

SAN ANTONIO – Democratic Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett faces off against local Democratic State Representative James Tallarico It became the latest flashpoint In the battle between moderates and rioters for the soul of the party.

While Crockett tried to rally the party’s far-left base as a raw fighter who wouldn’t take kindly to Republicans, Tallarico And he sought To expand the Democratic tent in the pair’s primary race by offering initiatives to disillusioned moderate and conservative voters while remaining progressive.

Both politicians are vying for their party’s endorsement to go after the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn.

“If you voted for Donald Trump but are tired of the extremism and corruption in this government, you also have a place in this campaign,” Tallarico told voters while in San Antonio on Sunday.

The stakes for a bruising primary for Democratic foes are high, given that party leaders are eyeing a potentially rare opportunity to fulfill their long-held dreams of flipping a Texas Senate seat blue.

They hope the bitter primary battle between Cornyn and Republican challenger and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which is tearing apart Republicans, will help them.

Tallarico and Crockett may not be as ideologically divided as the classic far-left and traditional intraparty divide that dominates the 2026 Democratic midterm primaries, but their battle represents a pressing rift roiling the party.

“I don’t like some of the things she agreed to,” April Cruz, a Tallarico supporter, told The Post, referring to Crockett. “It’s transferring money to Israel, (which is) something I’m not a fan of.”

Despite her brash personality, Crockett’s voting record in the House of Representatives falls in the ideological center of her party. According to GovTrack. At times, she has bashed leftists, attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Va.)’s “Fight Oligarchy” tour. Excessive self-promotion.

She has remained a strong advocate for former President Joe Biden as well.

But Crockett also embraced the feisty style of politics that endeared her to the left..

“I think we’ve all seen the attack ads on behalf of my primary opponent,” Crockett complained last month. “He has nothing to say about negative ads, ads that make my skin dark, and the constant kind of ads that if they win, we lose.

“It’s not even the undertones right now. It’s outright racism.”

She also built a name for herself in the House with fiery battles against MAGA moguls like former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who ripped her, saying she had a “bleach-blonde, ill-built, butch body.”

Crockett has faced her fair share of controversy and questions about whether she’s ready for prime time, too. For example, The issues page of her campaign website It was marred by critical errors, including instructions to “write your points here” in the mental health section.

On the other hand, Talarico, a Presbyterian clergyman, focused on wooing more key elements of the Democratic Party and trying to win over moderates and disillusioned conservatives, in part through his religious appeal.

“I think the biggest part was about healing, reaching out to those who don’t agree with you and trying to forge a path where we can all be together,” Mike Torres, a Democrat who lives in San Antonio, told The Washington Post about what appealed to him about Tallarico’s message.

“We don’t have to agree on everything,” the father of three said. “We just have to be able to tolerate each other, live with each other, and make the world better for each other.”

Dominic Delarosa, 26, who comes from a conservative family, similarly resonated with Tallarico’s view on loneliness.

“We’re not supposed to fight with each other. We really are, my background comes from a very poor family, and seeing the roads at the top really trying to keep us at the bottom,” Delarosa told The Post.