Israel Stance Boosts Talarico in Texas Senate Race

0:00It's April 9th. This is El Paso News today, AI-powered stories from your sitting. I'm Cory with the story. State Rep James Tallerico pulled off an upset in the Texas Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat, beating U.S. Rep Jasmine Crockett back in March. New polling from the Institute for Middle East Understanding says his sharp criticism of Israel's actions in Palestine gave him the edge with primary, voters. Crockett had the name recognition advantage, but Tallerico surged ahead anyway. On the Republican side, a runoff next month, between Senator John Kornin and Attorney General Ken Paxton, will decide his general election opponent come. November. This stance is hitting a nerve among Democrats, especially with reports of over 70,000 Palestinian deaths, including 20,000 children since October 2023. Voters are making it clear they want leaders who push back on Israel's ongoing operations in Gaza. The polling highlights how opposition to those policies boosted Tallerico, turning it into

1:02a key issue, reshaping primaries from New York City to Texas. Experts note, President Biden's strong support for Israel cost Democrats votes last year. As we head into more races, Democratic candidates face a choice, tune into their base, or stick with big money influences. This could redefine the party's direction moving forward.