State Rep. James Talarico, a 36-year-old Bible scholar who captured national attention for his faith-based message, defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the race to become the Democratic nominee for Senate, the Associated Press projected. As of early Wednesday, Talarico had 53% of the vote to Crockett's 46%. In November, he will take on the winner of the Republican primary runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who were the top two finishers in the GOP contest Tuesday night, bumping out Rep. Wesley Hunt. Talarico's victory gives an early indication of the direction that the Democratic Party and its base voters are heading as they look toward the midterms and the 2028 presidential race. Talarico has gained followers in Texas and nationally for using faith-based language to talk about progressive values.