Well this is a must win senate race, and frankly both Crockett and Talarico are better 1,000% than Paxton or Cornyn. So it doesn’t really matter. For me, I am not endorsing either, they are both great but whoever actually works the precincts and talks to the voters and will help all the ready 254 counties with $$$$. And if neither of them do that then I don’t care cause we will never win the state wide senate race without massive GOTV in all 254 counties but a whole lot in DFW and all collar counties. You know how I feel. We can’t win state wide with just a candidate. We have to work every precincts. And right now neither has offered to help. And I have said for months the two things that matter the absolute most for my city is: No AIPAC and No Casino $ especially from the #1 Trump donor.
Well one thing I heard is that last weekend many thousands of Talerico supporters were blockwalking and I am pretty sure Crockett volunterrs are reaching out as well.
FYI, as a precinct chair, I'll be working my precinct with help from the Talarico campaign -- getting the word out to volunteers. Lots of blockwalking already happening in this area.
I love both candidates but I’m sorely disappointed that neither one of them will take the right stance here.
And is Liza right that neither of them will commit to helping GOTV in every precinct? That’s political suicide- why don’t they see that? Are they too busy making TikToks and sending daily donation texts? That is not gonna work. That is not a campaign.
I’m disappointed in both of them: first they didn’t coordinate the races so that one of them stayed in the House, now they’re playing safe when they should be bold with a major progressive topic.
They need to make more “good trouble” around American authoritarianism. Get out with the people in the streets. Use a Mamdani role model, not a Schumer/Jeffries role model. We hate that vanilla Dem shit. It cannot win.
I know that Talarico has launched an aggressive block walking campaign already, but I don't know his strategy. To my knowledge, Crockett has not yet launched any ground campaign.
I’m doing a zoom event with Talaricos folks 1/20 at 5 about mobilizing for block walks or fundraisers.
Which do you think is more critical for the primary? Walking or fundraising?
And I’m in HD49-is walking in my own district or branching out to other neighborhoods (since 49 is safe dem)better tactic? I’ve never mobilized for a primary campaign before and appreciate your savvy
Thank you Michelle for an excellent article and analysis. I was on vacation and now trying to catch up on all the great articles I missed while overseas.
Texas Dems are the most progressive Dems in the country. We passed a Gaza ceasefire resolution in November 2023 way before any other party or group in the country.
The Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities met over Zoom with both Senate candidates early last month. Neither candidate won the "endorsement " of the community. We expect more clarity from our candidates and neither was ready to do that. When it comes to domestic policy, both candidate will be make a great senator. However, when it comes to foreign policy and human rights, the grassroots will have to keep pushing to move our candidates closer to reality.
Thanks for a very informative article, Michelle. A graph that you showed about the favorable or unfavorable views of religious groups about Israel showed that the highest favorable rating of Israel is among Muslims at over eighty percent. Is that correct?
Based on your analysis, it seems Talarico is closer to the views of Democrats on this topic than Crockett though both lag. Right?
Hope you can do a similar comparison of the positions of the two candidates on other important issues and will eventually come up with an endorsement.
A month ago neither candidate had articulated their policy positions on important issues on their campaign websites. I was pleasantly surprised today that Talarico has articulated his policy positions on various issues clearly. He seems to have embraced the progressive agenda quite well.
Crockett has yet to articulate her positions on issues clearly on her website. Hopefully she will do it soon so that voters can compare and make an informed decision.
Yes, I can do that, perhaps next month. I really didn't even want to talk about this race to begin with, but got so sich of seeing all of the squabbling about this issue and their positions online.
Great piece on the issues & the details of their stances when last known. Asks the paramount question that we all have to answer before we vote. (I really feel why you were leaving this one for 'later' last fall.... aarrghhh)
This whole article does a disservice to the Democratic Jewish community. Jews vote 70% democratic, however , we feel more and more unwelcome in our party. The last state convention left many of the Jewish delegates feeling as if we don’t have a place in this party. I have never in my life seen one caucus, the progressive caucus, go out of its way to demonize and verbally harass another caucus. I would have understood if it was the Muslim caucus, but it wasn’t. This article reflects the idea that there is no place for Jews in the Democratic Party. All Jews are Zionist. Calling us Zionist is just antisemitism worded differently.
The Democratic Party darn sure loves our money and votes. Why should we stay in a party that refuses to respect us and our point of view?
What astonishes me about this conversation is somehow you register that that "all jews are Zionists." So am i to assume that the rabbis and people who identify as anti-Zionist jews are not considered Jewish? I did not realize that apparently it had to take a single individual to decide what being Jewish is. Judaism, Christianity, even Islam are religious identities practiced by INDIVIDUALS. Religious identities are not cultural identities nor do people have the right to decide what is considered Jewish, Christian, or even Muslim like. People are free to practice a religious identity and also condemn acts of hatred such as antisemitism, islamophobia and hatred in general towards people of religious backgrounds. Do not conflate Religious identities with cultural identities thank you very much.
First, Judaism is an ethnicity. It is literally in our genes. I’m genetically Ashkenazi Jew. There is no choice. You don’t have to practice it religiously, but you are still culturally Jewish. It makes a heck of a difference when you need a stem cell transplant. Second, all Jews are Israel and Israel is all Jews. I can get citizenship tomorrow if I wanted. It is the one place in the world we are supposedly “safe.” No one , not even the U.S. wanted to admit Jews after WWII. I promise you if our modern day Hitler starts targeting Jews they will become Zionists real fast. Whether they want to admit it or not they are Zionist.
By this logic. We have to acknowledge that Islam is a ethnicity too. This conversation is precisely what i am talking about when people like you consistently conflate cultural identities for religious identities. There is no culture of being "jewish". There is a practice of being "jewish" meaning that you practice the daily rituals and traditions that are associated with the religion of Judaism. The logic that you are bringing implies that there can be people say Oh i am not a "religious Muslim or Christian" but i am a cultural Muslim or Christian. This is a logic that a lot of white Christian nationalists especially in Texas where they use this logic. This does not make any sense because you are implying a logic that by default that people can be born "Jewish, Muslim, or Christian" without doing the associated practices and rituals of said religion. You all by your religion have holy books associated such as the Torah, Quran, and Bible that asks you to commit to daily rituals of practice. If you cannot commit such practices in conjunction to the Torah then i dont see how that identity can be claimed with a religious identity that requires you to perform the religious practices.
This is a good argument to make in favor of James Talarico because in the end. He is not claiming with the logic you made that he is a cultural Christian. lots of white nationalist Christians use the belief that they are born Christian but James Talarico uses the logic of his practice of being Christian as he references the bible consistently and it applies to his life. He uses his practice and mentions of the bible to express why he has claimed his Christian Identity.
So if you sent your blood to say 23 and Me, you genetics would read Muslim? Christian? No, that is why they aren’t ethnicities like Judaism. You can be born Jewish and never adhere to a single Jewish principle. Sorry, not sorta, but those are scientific facts.
you know. I am grateful of that the fact there will be several Jewish folks that will be courageous enough to counter the amusing information you bring because i have never seen such a eugenic frame of methods what you are proposing is literally Eugenics. This is so eugenic in finest because you claim that you can be "born jewish" and never adhere to a single Jewish principle. This is the same mentality that white nationalist Christians use in Texas and pass all these laws harming minority communities in Texas. If the democratic party is gonna entertain people like you who connect to logic like yours that pertains to Christian nationalists then Jewish, Muslim, and Christian people all like will be in danger with your mentality. Sorry, not sorta to this say, but this is a fact of white supremacy born of a misguided nature of a beautiful religion called Judaism. I would really feel uncomfortable with you people like you in the ranks of the democratic party.
You are so uninformed you make me laugh. Neither Christianity nor Islam are ethnicities. You have to be baptized or take a vow to enter those religions, yes? Your DNA would say Irish, Italianor Yemeni. Mine says Ashkenazic Jew. I don’t see how your tiny brain isn’t understanding this. I cannot understand how such a prejudiced person would be part of the Democratic Party. You must be MAGA because even after I explain you still make antisemitic comments. Being a man, you also have to have the last word. Get the book “Judaism for Dummies. better . Do better.
and do you realize how incredibly how out of touch you sound? TRUMP IS OUR MODERN DAY HITLER. HE IS TARGETING JEWS AS WE SPEAK AND MAKING THEM UNSAFE. Do you honestly believe Trump is not putting any lives being Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Atheist in danger?
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/16/texas-republicans-fundraising-cash-advantage-democrats-2026-election/. Hey Michelle. If you dont mind, can you provide your takes or opinions regarding this? It looks like except for the Federal Senate Race. It looks democrats are being outraised by Republicans in Texas mainly due to fucking oligarchs and corporates spending massively. Especially with their plan of turning Harris County red. It reminds me of what people said because people think Texas is red on the surface but in actuality its a paid and bought for state and quite frankly a non-voting state.
Not ever a little surprising. There are so many billionaires in Texas, and they all have their hands in Republican politics here, because they all get something from it. Plus, much of the focus has been on the Senate race, with very little elsewhere.
So do you think despite the fundraising advantage. We can still contest down ballot and local races? I think the progressive caucus in Texas understands it takes more then just money and political spending to win elections especially in an expensive state like Texas.
Maybe. I think we can win despite a fundraising advantage... but 1/3 is different from 1/1000. We'll have to revisit it after the next filing. I think it's too early to say.
Honestly i wish you the best of luck. I know a lot of folks from the progressive caucus and its been inspiring to hear their work. I think the republicans are underestimating the democrats this time in Texas despite the fundraising disadvantage. in NYC. We were outspent 10 to 1 due to billionaires flooding the mayoral race but we had fucking 50,000-100,000 volunteers doing a field operation of the entire city and we won as DSA and defeated Big Money.
i am reminded of a you tube video i saw of political content creators who mentioned the problem of certain states not being red or blue at nature at times but it is being a "gray" state meaning that the states do not have higher levels of turnout which contributes to certain electoral outcomes.
Yeah, it was Mississippi. I saw the same clip, lol. I thought, hey, that's also Texas. We're working on changing it. Watch out for the special election on 1/31. That should be the signal we're hoping for.
Ah!!!! will do! you also watched the video too yay! great minds think alike. That video is very enlightening and to me its very important because people have such a binary view of what constituents a "red or "blue state" without considering state dynamics.
Well this is a must win senate race, and frankly both Crockett and Talarico are better 1,000% than Paxton or Cornyn. So it doesn’t really matter. For me, I am not endorsing either, they are both great but whoever actually works the precincts and talks to the voters and will help all the ready 254 counties with $$$$. And if neither of them do that then I don’t care cause we will never win the state wide senate race without massive GOTV in all 254 counties but a whole lot in DFW and all collar counties. You know how I feel. We can’t win state wide with just a candidate. We have to work every precincts. And right now neither has offered to help. And I have said for months the two things that matter the absolute most for my city is: No AIPAC and No Casino $ especially from the #1 Trump donor.
Well one thing I heard is that last weekend many thousands of Talerico supporters were blockwalking and I am pretty sure Crockett volunterrs are reaching out as well.
FYI, as a precinct chair, I'll be working my precinct with help from the Talarico campaign -- getting the word out to volunteers. Lots of blockwalking already happening in this area.
I love both candidates but I’m sorely disappointed that neither one of them will take the right stance here.
And is Liza right that neither of them will commit to helping GOTV in every precinct? That’s political suicide- why don’t they see that? Are they too busy making TikToks and sending daily donation texts? That is not gonna work. That is not a campaign.
I’m disappointed in both of them: first they didn’t coordinate the races so that one of them stayed in the House, now they’re playing safe when they should be bold with a major progressive topic.
They need to make more “good trouble” around American authoritarianism. Get out with the people in the streets. Use a Mamdani role model, not a Schumer/Jeffries role model. We hate that vanilla Dem shit. It cannot win.
I know that Talarico has launched an aggressive block walking campaign already, but I don't know his strategy. To my knowledge, Crockett has not yet launched any ground campaign.
I’m doing a zoom event with Talaricos folks 1/20 at 5 about mobilizing for block walks or fundraisers.
Which do you think is more critical for the primary? Walking or fundraising?
And I’m in HD49-is walking in my own district or branching out to other neighborhoods (since 49 is safe dem)better tactic? I’ve never mobilized for a primary campaign before and appreciate your savvy
Thank you Michelle for an excellent article and analysis. I was on vacation and now trying to catch up on all the great articles I missed while overseas.
Texas Dems are the most progressive Dems in the country. We passed a Gaza ceasefire resolution in November 2023 way before any other party or group in the country.
The Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities met over Zoom with both Senate candidates early last month. Neither candidate won the "endorsement " of the community. We expect more clarity from our candidates and neither was ready to do that. When it comes to domestic policy, both candidate will be make a great senator. However, when it comes to foreign policy and human rights, the grassroots will have to keep pushing to move our candidates closer to reality.
Thanks for a very informative article, Michelle. A graph that you showed about the favorable or unfavorable views of religious groups about Israel showed that the highest favorable rating of Israel is among Muslims at over eighty percent. Is that correct?
Based on your analysis, it seems Talarico is closer to the views of Democrats on this topic than Crockett though both lag. Right?
Hope you can do a similar comparison of the positions of the two candidates on other important issues and will eventually come up with an endorsement.
A month ago neither candidate had articulated their policy positions on important issues on their campaign websites. I was pleasantly surprised today that Talarico has articulated his policy positions on various issues clearly. He seems to have embraced the progressive agenda quite well.
Crockett has yet to articulate her positions on issues clearly on her website. Hopefully she will do it soon so that voters can compare and make an informed decision.
Yes, I can do that, perhaps next month. I really didn't even want to talk about this race to begin with, but got so sich of seeing all of the squabbling about this issue and their positions online.
Great piece on the issues & the details of their stances when last known. Asks the paramount question that we all have to answer before we vote. (I really feel why you were leaving this one for 'later' last fall.... aarrghhh)
Just shared on Bsky. Thanks, Michelle!!!
This whole article does a disservice to the Democratic Jewish community. Jews vote 70% democratic, however , we feel more and more unwelcome in our party. The last state convention left many of the Jewish delegates feeling as if we don’t have a place in this party. I have never in my life seen one caucus, the progressive caucus, go out of its way to demonize and verbally harass another caucus. I would have understood if it was the Muslim caucus, but it wasn’t. This article reflects the idea that there is no place for Jews in the Democratic Party. All Jews are Zionist. Calling us Zionist is just antisemitism worded differently.
The Democratic Party darn sure loves our money and votes. Why should we stay in a party that refuses to respect us and our point of view?
That isn’t what the article argues at all. It critiques US and Israeli state policy, not Jewish identity, and explicitly condemns antisemitism.
Well said. Agreed.
What astonishes me about this conversation is somehow you register that that "all jews are Zionists." So am i to assume that the rabbis and people who identify as anti-Zionist jews are not considered Jewish? I did not realize that apparently it had to take a single individual to decide what being Jewish is. Judaism, Christianity, even Islam are religious identities practiced by INDIVIDUALS. Religious identities are not cultural identities nor do people have the right to decide what is considered Jewish, Christian, or even Muslim like. People are free to practice a religious identity and also condemn acts of hatred such as antisemitism, islamophobia and hatred in general towards people of religious backgrounds. Do not conflate Religious identities with cultural identities thank you very much.
First, Judaism is an ethnicity. It is literally in our genes. I’m genetically Ashkenazi Jew. There is no choice. You don’t have to practice it religiously, but you are still culturally Jewish. It makes a heck of a difference when you need a stem cell transplant. Second, all Jews are Israel and Israel is all Jews. I can get citizenship tomorrow if I wanted. It is the one place in the world we are supposedly “safe.” No one , not even the U.S. wanted to admit Jews after WWII. I promise you if our modern day Hitler starts targeting Jews they will become Zionists real fast. Whether they want to admit it or not they are Zionist.
By this logic. We have to acknowledge that Islam is a ethnicity too. This conversation is precisely what i am talking about when people like you consistently conflate cultural identities for religious identities. There is no culture of being "jewish". There is a practice of being "jewish" meaning that you practice the daily rituals and traditions that are associated with the religion of Judaism. The logic that you are bringing implies that there can be people say Oh i am not a "religious Muslim or Christian" but i am a cultural Muslim or Christian. This is a logic that a lot of white Christian nationalists especially in Texas where they use this logic. This does not make any sense because you are implying a logic that by default that people can be born "Jewish, Muslim, or Christian" without doing the associated practices and rituals of said religion. You all by your religion have holy books associated such as the Torah, Quran, and Bible that asks you to commit to daily rituals of practice. If you cannot commit such practices in conjunction to the Torah then i dont see how that identity can be claimed with a religious identity that requires you to perform the religious practices.
This is a good argument to make in favor of James Talarico because in the end. He is not claiming with the logic you made that he is a cultural Christian. lots of white nationalist Christians use the belief that they are born Christian but James Talarico uses the logic of his practice of being Christian as he references the bible consistently and it applies to his life. He uses his practice and mentions of the bible to express why he has claimed his Christian Identity.
So if you sent your blood to say 23 and Me, you genetics would read Muslim? Christian? No, that is why they aren’t ethnicities like Judaism. You can be born Jewish and never adhere to a single Jewish principle. Sorry, not sorta, but those are scientific facts.
you know. I am grateful of that the fact there will be several Jewish folks that will be courageous enough to counter the amusing information you bring because i have never seen such a eugenic frame of methods what you are proposing is literally Eugenics. This is so eugenic in finest because you claim that you can be "born jewish" and never adhere to a single Jewish principle. This is the same mentality that white nationalist Christians use in Texas and pass all these laws harming minority communities in Texas. If the democratic party is gonna entertain people like you who connect to logic like yours that pertains to Christian nationalists then Jewish, Muslim, and Christian people all like will be in danger with your mentality. Sorry, not sorta to this say, but this is a fact of white supremacy born of a misguided nature of a beautiful religion called Judaism. I would really feel uncomfortable with you people like you in the ranks of the democratic party.
You are so uninformed you make me laugh. Neither Christianity nor Islam are ethnicities. You have to be baptized or take a vow to enter those religions, yes? Your DNA would say Irish, Italianor Yemeni. Mine says Ashkenazic Jew. I don’t see how your tiny brain isn’t understanding this. I cannot understand how such a prejudiced person would be part of the Democratic Party. You must be MAGA because even after I explain you still make antisemitic comments. Being a man, you also have to have the last word. Get the book “Judaism for Dummies. better . Do better.
and do you realize how incredibly how out of touch you sound? TRUMP IS OUR MODERN DAY HITLER. HE IS TARGETING JEWS AS WE SPEAK AND MAKING THEM UNSAFE. Do you honestly believe Trump is not putting any lives being Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Atheist in danger?
https://www.jta.org/2026/02/05/united-states/jews-who-support-israel-often-do-not-identify-as-zionists-new-jfna-survey-finds
I'm sorry anyone felt that way. I have many Jewish friends who do not support what's been happening in Gaza, just as many in Israel do not.
I have not seen that as you have. Where are you getting that.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/16/texas-republicans-fundraising-cash-advantage-democrats-2026-election/. Hey Michelle. If you dont mind, can you provide your takes or opinions regarding this? It looks like except for the Federal Senate Race. It looks democrats are being outraised by Republicans in Texas mainly due to fucking oligarchs and corporates spending massively. Especially with their plan of turning Harris County red. It reminds me of what people said because people think Texas is red on the surface but in actuality its a paid and bought for state and quite frankly a non-voting state.
Not ever a little surprising. There are so many billionaires in Texas, and they all have their hands in Republican politics here, because they all get something from it. Plus, much of the focus has been on the Senate race, with very little elsewhere.
So do you think despite the fundraising advantage. We can still contest down ballot and local races? I think the progressive caucus in Texas understands it takes more then just money and political spending to win elections especially in an expensive state like Texas.
Maybe. I think we can win despite a fundraising advantage... but 1/3 is different from 1/1000. We'll have to revisit it after the next filing. I think it's too early to say.
Honestly i wish you the best of luck. I know a lot of folks from the progressive caucus and its been inspiring to hear their work. I think the republicans are underestimating the democrats this time in Texas despite the fundraising disadvantage. in NYC. We were outspent 10 to 1 due to billionaires flooding the mayoral race but we had fucking 50,000-100,000 volunteers doing a field operation of the entire city and we won as DSA and defeated Big Money.
And things like that matter.
Where are you located, Mubashir?
I am in NYC. Lucy i am part of NYC DSA the chapter that elected AOC and Zohran to office.
I believe we have a candidate in every race this time. That's progress. Take it from Stacy Abrams -- it's a process, not a one time event.
I agree. That is an incredible improvement and comes a long way
Not suprising. R's have virtually unlimited $$, thx to billionaire donors in West Texas that own virtually every R in the Texas lege.
We're the underdogs, no doubt. Gather 5 stones...
i am reminded of a you tube video i saw of political content creators who mentioned the problem of certain states not being red or blue at nature at times but it is being a "gray" state meaning that the states do not have higher levels of turnout which contributes to certain electoral outcomes.
Yeah, it was Mississippi. I saw the same clip, lol. I thought, hey, that's also Texas. We're working on changing it. Watch out for the special election on 1/31. That should be the signal we're hoping for.
Ah!!!! will do! you also watched the video too yay! great minds think alike. That video is very enlightening and to me its very important because people have such a binary view of what constituents a "red or "blue state" without considering state dynamics.