I mean the headline of this article in three ways.
On Tuesday night, Lone Star State Democrats selected two liberal Austin state representatives, James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, for the top-ballot slots in this likely blue-wave year. And for lieutenant governor, a third liberal Austin state representative, Vikki Goodwin, came in comfortably first but is headed to a May 26 runoff, meaning three of the top four ballot spots could all be held by Austin state reps come the November election. (Yet another liberal Austin state legislator, Sarah Eckhardt, also won the nomination for state comptroller.)
For attorney general, Dallas state Senator Nathan Johnson nearly won outright but will also head to a runoff, in turn meaning that all four of the top nominees might be sitting state legislators—folks who carry out their part-time jobs in the capital city.
And, in the race that most of the nation cared about last night, Talarico relied heavily on his home base to secure his win over Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. It’s true that, like Bernie Sanders in the 2020 primary, Talarico appears to have been favored by Latino primary voters—he won Bexar County (San Antonio) and the major border counties handily—and it’s likely true that Dems as a whole are strategic to nominate the candidate seemingly preferred by the state’s Hispanic plurality. It’s also fair to say that, outside of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Greater East Texas, Talarico carried the state map.
