WATCH: Obama, Harris advisor warns ‘betrayed’ Black voters could be Texas Senate candidate's kryptonite
Democratic strategists are worried that Senate hopeful James Talarico’s chances of flipping Texas blue are being jeopardized by what they see as a major vulnerability: a lack of enthusiasm on...
By Fox News · Fox News
Democratic strategists are worried that Senate hopeful James Talarico ’s chances of flipping Texas blue are being jeopardized by what they see as a major vulnerability: a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Texas Black voters, who are feeling "betrayed" by the party. Veteran Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne, a former advisor to President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, said that despite Talarico’s history of controversial statements, she believes he is "incredibly well positioned" to become the first Democrat to flip a Texas Senate seat blue in decades. However, she identified one major vulnerability, saying Black voters are "feeling like they were betrayed" by "what happened to Jasmine Crockett." Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated Black congresswoman Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate earlier this year. Etienne explained that following Crockett’s defeat, "some voters, Black women in particular, are feeling as though the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates want our labor, but not our leadership." The "two biggest examples," she said, are " Kamala Harris ' loss and Jasmine Crockett's loss." CARVILLE ADVISES TALARICO 'TO DEAL WITH' PAST CULTURE WAR COMMENTS IF HE WANTS TO WIN TEXAS Talarico’s history of hot takes, such as saying he "hates Christianity," calling God "nonbinary" and asserting that there are six sexes, has caused significant controversy. While Etienne believes that Talarico can swat away these resurfaced comments, she believes the feeling of Black voter "betrayal" could sink his Senate hopes. A Texas native, Etienne also served as a senior advisor to former President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , and several members of Congress from Texas. She now runs the communications firm, Etienne & Saint. She referenced an opinion piece she co-authored in the Houston Chronicle , in which she quoted one Black female voter, who said, "We as Blac…