The first set of primaries in the 2026 cycle are on March 3, and one race in Texas has drawn significant attention. State Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett are vying for the Democratic nomination for Senate, which could be winnable if Texas Republicans pick far-right attorney general Ken Paxton. Some observers see this race as reflective of a broader choice in Democratic politics: whether candidates should position solely in opposition to Trump or to offer a substantive vision that connects to the New Deal populism of the past.

Adam Green and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee have made their choice, endorsing Talarico today. Green told me that while Democratic voters appreciate Crockett’s fighting mentality, Talarico carries the potential of building a more durable coalition based on working-class issues, corporate accountability, and material improvements to people’s lives.

I talked to Green about why he went with Talarico, what he represents for 2026 and beyond, whether Texas is winnable for Democrats, and how the party needs to learn from its recent electoral past.

David Dayen: Your organization has made hundreds of candidate endorsements. Why is this one so emblematic of your vision of a successful Democratic Party?

Adam Green: The Democratic Party faces a defining question in 2026 and heading into 2028. Are we content to just be an anti-Trump party, or do we build a durable supermajority that fights for working people, holds corporations accountable, and materially improves people’s lives. This is an early table-setter for the midterms and the 2028 election. It’s a marker for how other Democrats should campaign.

One thing that gets oddly discounted in Democratic politics is authenticity, in actually believing in something. Do you see that as part of Talarico’s appeal?

Yes. One big lesson we’ve learned over time, it’s not sufficient to be “on message.” It has to be from the gut. One thing that is inspiring to see is how effortless Talarico is in talking about his vision. In a town hall, he was asked about welfare queens, and he said the real welfare queens are corporations who don’t pay their taxes. In a town hall, he was asked about class warfare, and he said we’ve had class warfare waged against us. He is an authentic messenger for his bold economic vision and fighting corporate power.

To be fair, as a state legislator Talarico took money from a group funded by Miriam Adelson, who wants to legalize gambling in Texas, which he voted for. Shouldn’t we consider that as well?

At the end of the day, when we interviewed Talarico for an endorsement*, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But what impressed me was that across his answers, there was a undercurrent of fighting for working people and taking on corporate power. It’s possible that he’s been learning the last few years and this is where he’s landed.

I’d also say that the most important reason that the Texas Democratic primary matters is the type of big-picture messaging it showcases after the election. It’s beyond dispute that James Talarico is calling out corporate power and talking about a better quality of life for working people. I think of it as the booster that lifts the space shuttle into orbit. The relevant thing is the space shuttle, not the booster. It’s bigger than any one candidate. How voters land on whether Democrats are an anti-Trump party that ushers in fascism anytime the anti-Trump message wanes, or whether they can build a durable supermajority with a bold economic vision is the threshold question.

*PCCC uses member surveys in addition to interviews for endorsements. In a recent survey sent to over 10,000 Texas members, Talarico received 58 percent support, compared to 23 percent for Crockett and 19 percent undecided.

Talarico now also represents a media consolidation story, right, because of the censored interview with Stephen Colbert. It’s almost a real-world depiction of the message that you’re talking about?

I think he was already against billionaire oligarchs that are buying media companies and trading favors with Trump. But the Colbert interview situation is important for the nation and extra-radicalizing for him. On anything related to media consolidation, I imagine that he is now a natural spokesperson.

Let’s turn to Jasime Crockett. She has not really been associated with that class of 2022 candidates who benefited from Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto PACs, but not only is she part of that, you note that she’s voted with crypto down the line. Why is that a red flag for you?

To her credit, Jasmine Crockett is known as an effective partisan jouster for Team Blue against Team Red. But she has never really shown up for any economic fight and is unfortunately landing on the wrong side of history. Crypto and other super PACs throw lots of money behind candidates to support their candidates and chill other politicians. It’s notable that Crockett sided with Trump and the Republicans on crypto and stablecoin bills that many say will enrich Donald Trump and his family. Our sister organization P Street has led efforts on the bill to end insider stock trading. Crockett weirdly has not signed on to that. We’re talking about that as a supporting detail on this fight: whether you’re just going to ride the rising anti-Trump energy or build a new Democratic populist economic vision.

Some would say that the real divide in the party right now is between those who won’t fight back against Trump and those who will. Say what you will about Crockett, she’s a fighter. Why is Talarico better suited then to this moment in your view?

For the first few months of the 2025 Trump presidency, it was sufficient to show you were a fighter because so many Democrats were not. But we’re past that moment now. We need to fight for a bold economic vision that can bring people to our side, and not descend into fascism whenever we’re not in an anti-Trump environment. Calling Marjorie Taylor Greene a butch blonde feels good in the moment. But calling out corporate power will break down political walls. We’re fighting to show that this is a winning strategy in 2026 and beyond.

On the other side, it does look like hard-right conservative Ken Paxton will get the nomination over the incumbent, John Cornyn. I will say that Paxton has made a couple of corporate accountability moves in his career: He successfully sued Google in one monopolization case and is headed to trial on another; he just opened an investigation into a fire truck monopoly. How can Talarico’s message successfully gain advantage?

In 2016, we saw Trump outflank Hillary Clinton on various corporate issues, including NAFTA. We saw that again in 2024, he was campaigning at McDonald’s when Kamala Harris had no credible voice on economic populism. If Paxton has had a couple broken-clock moments in his career, that’s all the more reason why we need someone on the side of working people to go up against him.

You’ve touched on this, but do you see this Senate primary in Texas as a harbinger for 2028 and the presidential election?

There are actually numerous primaries this cycle that will send an important signal. Talarico has the earliest one, so we decided to lead with it. In Maine, if Graham Platner defeats an incumbent governor and then goes on to do what Chuck Schumer failed to do, which is beat Susan Collins, that would be a political earthquake. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan would be another earthquake. It would show that in a state like Michigan, you can elect a moderate like Elissa Slotkin, or a guy named Abdul who supports Medicare for All. Voters can be liberated to vote their hopes, to vote for a bold economic populist vision.

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David Dayen is the executive editor of The American Prospect. He is the author of Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power and Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street’s Great Foreclosure Fraud. He co-hosts the podcast Organized Money with Matt Stoller. He can be reached on Signal at ddayen.90.