Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico Face Off in First Democratic Senate Debate

Texas Democrats saw their top U.S. Senate contenders meet on the debate stage over the weekend as Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Austin Representative James Talarico squared off ahead of the March Democratic primary.

The debate, held at the Texas AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education (COPE) convention in Georgetown, covered immigration enforcement, the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, and the prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump.

Both candidates are seeking the opportunity to turn a Senate seat blue, as Republican Sen. John Cornyn faces a difficult primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Immigration enforcement took center stage early following the killing of two civilians in Minneapolis involving ICE officers. While neither candidate explicitly called for abolishing ICE, both advocated for sweeping reforms.

Rep. Crockett highlighted her vote against funding the Department of Homeland Security and her support for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying she would not "continue to pump a historic amount of money into this rogue organization," when referring to ICE.

Talarico said he supports impeaching Noem and holding ICE agents accountable for abuses of power, adding that increased ICE funding has come at the expense of health care and community resources.

On the economy, both candidates argue that billionaires should pay higher taxes. Talarico repeatedly criticized the political influence of wealthy individuals and corporations, while Crockett proposed restoring tax rates from the Clinton era, citing the last balanced federal budget.

Healthcare was another focal point. Talarico discussed his experience living with Type 1 diabetes and backed expanding Medicare access. Crockett emphasized her support for Medicare for All, Medicare expansion in Texas, and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.

The two candidates largely avoided attacking each other and instead focused their criticism on Trump and their Republican challengers.

Both candidates support the impeachment of Donald Trump, but a clear distinction emerged between the candidates.

While Crocket said she believed there was already sufficient justification to impeach Trump, Talarico took a cautious stance, pointing to his vote to impeach Ken Paxton in 2023. He said any impeachment decision should be based on careful review of evidence rather than political momentum.

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is on March 3, 2026.