Democratic strategists are sounding the alarm over a potential vulnerability in James Talarico's campaign to flip Texas blue: a lack of enthusiasm among Black voters.
Veteran strategist Ashley Etienne, who has worked with President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, believes that despite Talarico's history of controversy, he is well-positioned to become the first Democrat to flip a Texas Senate seat in decades.
However, Etienne identifies one major vulnerability: Black voters feeling "betrayed" by the party. She points to the defeat of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Black congresswoman who was denied the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate earlier this year.
"Some voters, Black women in particular, are feeling as though the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates want our labor, but not our leadership," Etienne said.
The controversy surrounding Talarico's past statements, including saying he "hates Christianity" and calling God "nonbinary," has caused significant debate. Etienne believes that Talarico can swat away these comments, but the feeling of Black voter "betrayal" could sink his Senate hopes.
A Texas native, Etienne has worked with several members of Congress from the state and now runs a communications firm. She referenced an opinion piece she co-authored, in which she quoted a Black female voter who said, "We as Black women give 92 percent of our vote to the Democratic Party, and we get nothing out of the deal."
Etienne posits that this sentiment is an "alarm warning for Talarico." With approximately 1.1 million registered Black voters in Texas not voting, Talarico will have to motivate that untapped voter base to pull off an upset in the traditionally solid red state.
The key to doing that, Etienne said, is appealing to Black women. "Black women aren't just another constituency," she said. "We are a force multiplier effect when it comes to Black voters."
Talarico supporters have come under fire for pressuring Crockett to stump for him, with some accusing them of telling her what she should do. Crockett has endorsed Talarico but has been notably absent from the campaign trail.
"There's rhetoric that's being turned up that she has to come and support him, and a lot of that is coming from people that support him," said Jones, a critic of Talarico's campaign. "So, what it translates to is people basically telling this accomplished, decorated, Black female member of Congress what she ought to do."
Jones believes that Talarico's chance of winning hinges on creating enthusiasm among Black voters. "He himself has admitted that he cannot win the state without Black voters," he said. "It's not a persuasion game, it's an enthusiasm game."
