Religion played a key role in midterm primaries in Texas March 3.
A Presbyterian seminarian secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and will face either the incumbent, John Cornyn, a member of the Churches of Christ, or Ken Paxton, a Southern Baptist who’s in the midst of being divorced by his wife for infidelity.
Meanwhile, a high-profile Baptist pastor in South Dallas easily secured the Democratic nomination for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in a district that is strongly Democratic. That means odds are high Frederick Haynes of Friendship-West Baptist Church will replace his church member, Jasmine Crockett, in the U.S. House early next year.
Jasmine Crockett
Crockett did not run for reelection to the House seat because she challenged James Talarico in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. As BNG previously reported, this primary battle highlighted two different visions of religious engagement in culture.
Voter turnout was so high — and changing rules in Texas prompted by state Republicans were so confusing — that an additional two hours was added to voting Tuesday evening. However, the Texas Supreme Court quickly said that wasn’t legal and it is not clear whether ballots cast after 7 p.m. Tuesday will be counted.
The confusion arose because state Republicans upended recent tradition and wanted separate polling places from Democrats. Previously, both party primaries were held in the same locations. Also, previously, voters could cast their ballots at any polling place but this year they were required to go to their own precinct only.
These changes meant some voters had trouble finding their polling places, according to Crockett and other candidates.
By Wednesday morning, Crockett conceded the primary race to Talarico because the margin of votes at play in the voting hours dispute was not sufficient to change the results.
James Talarico
“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett wrote. “With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win. I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
As of Wednesday morning, Talarico had 52.75% of the vote and Crockett had 45.91%. A third candidate garnered 1.33% of the vote.
A record 2.2 million people voted in the Texas Democratic primary — the most in a midterm primary for the party since 1970 and second only to the 2008 presidential race.
Texas Republicans also turned out in record numbers. The 2.1 million GOP voters were the party’s largest midterm primary turnout ever. Observers noted, however, that more Democratic voters turned out than Republican voters — a potential sign about voter enthusiasm for the general election in November.
Democrats nationally have high hopes Talarico could flip the U.S. Senate seat from Texas. Texans have not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen was reelected for the last time.
Talarico is a current member of the Texas House of Representatives. He’s a Presbyterian minister who earned a master’s degree in theological Studies from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and currently is working toward a master of divinity degree.
Progressive faith values infuse his campaign — a sharp contrast with the conservative evangelicalism of the Republican Party.
Ken Paxton
Who Talarico will face in the November general election will be determined in a May runoff between Paxton, currently the state attorney general, and Cornyn, the incumbent. In Tuesday’s primary, Cornyn garnered 41.89% of the vote and Paxton got 40.7%. Six other candidates split the remainder of the vote.
Notably, President Donald Trump did not endorse any candidate in the primary. Trump has a grudge against Cornyn, whom he has called a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) and a “weak” or “ineffective” leader. However, there’s danger in endorsing Paxton, who has a resume of scandals including being impeached by Republicans in the Texas House although not convicted in the Senate after Trump intervened on his behalf.
Among Paxton’s scandals is a securities fraud indictment that the executive pastor of Paxton’s own church — Prestonwood Baptist Church — said he was swindled through. In 2017, Executive Pastor Mike Buster filed a lawsuit against Rep. Byron Cook and Florida businessman Joel Hochberg, the two men named on Paxton’s fraud indictments.
Freddie Haynes (Screenshot)
Prestonwood is located in the North Dallas suburb of Plano, which has been a Republican stronghold but is becoming increasingly Democratic in the age of Donald Trump. Plano also is the epicenter of Paxton’s war against Muslims and what he says is the threat of Sharia law.
Across town, in South Dallas, Haynes cruised to victory in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 30th Congressional District — one of the newly redrawn districts pushed by Texas Republicans at the request of Trump. This district, which encompasses central Dallas and the southern sector of Dallas and Grand Prairie, is one of only two redrawn districts in the DFW Metroplex considered safe for Democrats.
Haynes garnered 72.42% of the primary vote against two other candidates. His Republican opponent in the November election has not yet been determined. As of Wednesday morning, it appeared there will be a runoff in the Republican primary between Everett Jackson and Sholdon Daniels. None of the four primary candidates achieved 50% of the vote.
Related articles:
Texas Senate primary pits white Social Gospel against Black Church tradition | Analysis by Rodney Kennedy
Texas midterms take a twist as another pastor enters the race
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Rep. James Talarico | Opinion by Greg Garrett