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Texas Democrats are thirsty for Beto O’Rourke to run again [1]
['Daily Kos Staff']
Date: 2025-09-12
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke hasn’t declared, but Texas Democrats are already treating him as their front-runner for the 2026 U.S. Senate race. A new poll from Texas Public Opinion Research shows 27% of Democratic voters would back him, narrowly ahead of U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, of Dallas, at 26%.
Neither has officially entered the race, yet both outpoll the declared candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who lost his 2024 bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, garnered just 13%, while state Rep. James Talarico, who officially announced this week, came in at 7%.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett
O’Rourke told CNN in July that he hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’d throw his hat in the ring, adding he would consider running if it’s “what the people of Texas want.”
His electoral track record, however, should give Democrats pause. Candidates labeled as perennial losers—like O’Rourke, with presidential, Senate, and gubernatorial losses under his belt—often struggle to succeed in subsequent races. FiveThirtyEight found that since 1998, only 33 of 121 candidates who lost once later won higher office. Failures crossed party lines: 53 Democrats and 36 Republicans fell short in their follow-up campaigns.
Crockett could be a compelling alternative. The second-term Dallas congresswoman has already drawn Republican ire and said she would consider a Senate bid if data suggests she could be competitive statewide, according to The Dallas Morning News. For now, she’s focused on picking which Dallas-area district to run in after GOP redistricting pushed her into a neighboring seat.
Talarico, by contrast, remains largely unknown: 61% of voters said they had never heard of him, compared with just 21% for Allred. Eighteen percent of Democrats remain undecided in the hypothetical primary, leaving roughly three-quarters of the electorate up for grabs—a field that could shift dramatically if O’Rourke jumps in.
Sen. John Cornyn
The Republican primary, meanwhile, is finally starting to crack. After months of polls showing Attorney General Ken Paxton comfortably ahead, Sen. John Cornyn now leads 32% to 26%—though nearly a third of voters (29%) remain undecided. What had once seemed a runaway for Paxton is now a wide-open contest, with both candidates scrambling for President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Cornyn’s apparent climb in polling signals that GOP voters may be reconsidering the scandal-plagued attorney general.
For Democrats, the possibilities are tantalizing. O’Rourke remains a name that resonates statewide, and his entry could instantly reshape the primary. Crockett, meanwhile, brings progressive energy, relentless campaigning, and a knack for energizing younger voters and activists—many of whom helped O’Rourke in past campaigns.
The broader takeaway: Texas’ Senate race is still fluid. With the primary just months away, much can change. If O’Rourke or Crockett jumps in, Democrats could coalesce around a high-profile candidate. Without them, Allred and Talarico will need to fight to make themselves known in a crowded field—one that might get even busier, even if O’Rourke passes on a run. On the Republican side, the Cornyn-Paxton battle is sure to continue dominating headlines.
Texas voters are watching closely. The next six months could define the state’s political landscape for years to come.
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[1] Url:
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