The U.S. Senate Democratic primary race went off the rails this week when Texas State Rep. James Talarico was accused of calling Colin Allred, his former opponent in the race, a “mediocre Black man.” Though Talarico, who is white, denied making the claim about Allred — a Black former U.S. congressman who dropped out of the race to run for a U.S. House seat — his current opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, says she believes the claim from a TikTok political influencer, Morgan Thompson, is true.
“It’s obviously really problematic,” Crockett told theGrio during a wide-ranging interview. “I think it is what so many Black people fear; that even the most quote-unquote well-intentioned white folk, sometimes behind closed doors, may say things about us…and it doesn’t matter your political affiliation.”
The 44-year-old former civil rights attorney added, “I think that it is a real fear that a lot of, not just Black people, but minorities have about how they may get talked about behind closed doors.”
While Crockett initially took a more reserved stance on the alleged comment by Talarico, the Dallas congresswoman said she weighed several factors before deciding whether to believe it.
For one, Crockett said Allred’s fiery response was rare for the typically “even-tempered” and “measured” former NFL player, whom she’s known for years before the two served separately in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Don’t come for me unless I send for you, okay, James? And keep my name out of your mouth while you’re at it,” Allred said sternly in a video posted on social media.
“This is not a guy that would just go out there and respond because something was on social media. I know that he did his due diligence before he made a response,” asserted Crockett.
The U.S. Senate candidate said she was also suspicious of Talarico’s response to the controversy, in which he admitted he used the word “mediocre” during a private conversation with Thompson, but said he was only referring to Allred’s campaign, not him personally or his race.
She explained, “The criminal defense attorney in me, after I read his statement, says, oh, you said it. Right? Because now it’s, oh, she misinterpreted [him]. Because, of course, a Black woman would misinterpret, right? Like, I mean, it’s all these things, but you admitted to the time, you admitted to the conversation, you admitted that the conversation took place with this person, you admitted to actually using that word.”
Crockett questioned the entire premise of Talarico’s comments, in which he claims he was comparing Crockett, a “formidable Black woman,” to Allred’s “mediocre” campaign.
Even before “mediocre-gate,” racial attacks were already underway in the race against Crockett. As she notes, they were happening before she officially declared her candidacy in December.
The day after Crockett announced her Senate run, Talarico, a theologian, released a video urging his supporters to treat her with respect. The campaign move was something Morgan Thompson, the TikTok influencer, said she suggested he do
Crockett said the “racial overtones” from Talarico’s supporters have continued, telling theGrio, “I don’t know that he’s done a ton to distance himself.”
As for the alleged “mediocre” remark and whether that makes Talarico unfit for the job of U.S. Senator, Crockett said ultimately, “The voters will decide.”
