Adam Harris

The Texas Senate primaries are drawing national headlines.

You may have heard of the Democratic candidates.

Representative Jasmine Crockett, who spat with Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2024, lit up social media.

A what now?

Or James Talrico, who was recently interviewed by Stephen Colbert.

And interview Colbert said CBS tried to bar him from airing.

I think that Donald Trump is worried that we're about to flip Texas.

Both candidates would have a big hill to climb.

No Democrat has won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.

And promising candidates from Beto O'Rourke to Wendy Davis have tried and failed to change that fact.

But people think Crockett or Talrico really could.

And it's making them wonder.

Is this the year for a Democrat in Texas?

This is Radio Atlantic, and I'm Adam Harris, sitting in for Hannah Rosen.

Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey has been covering this Texas race, and also following Representative Crockett.

She profiled her last year.

And then, while Elaine was at a Crockett campaign event this week, this happened.

Elaine, welcome to the show.

So the Texas Senate primary.

Why has this race captured the national media attention?