Democrat James Tallarico wins the Texas Senate primary

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — James Talarico didn’t mention Donald Trump when he greeted his exuberant supporters at his primary night celebration.

But the new Democratic U.S. Senate nominee from Texas is now a front man for political opposition to the Republican president, not just in his state but across the country. With his victory over US Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Austin lawmaker will test whether a smiling message of unity and change is enough to answer voters’ frustrations amid discord at home and now war abroad.

Read more: What to watch in the subsequent Texas Senate primaries

“We’re not just trying to win elections,” Tallarico told supporters in the Texas capital early Wednesday. “We are trying to radically change our policy, and it is working.”

The campaign provided “Love Thy Neighbor” signs to people in the crowd.

The question for Tallarico as he heads into the general election campaign is whether he can generate enthusiasm among voters who chose Crockett because they saw her as the most aggressive fighter against Trump. “Texas is poised to turn blue and we have to stay united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett admitted to Talarico on Wednesday morning.

Tallarico will need all the help he can get in a Republican-dominated state where Democrats have gone decades without winning a statewide race. He will face either U.S. Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who advanced to the Republican runoff on Tuesday.

Conventional political wisdom says Tallarico was the stronger Democratic nominee in November, especially if Republicans nominate Paxton, a controversial conservative who has weathered allegations of corruption and infidelity over the years.

He watches: What’s at stake for Democrats and Republicans in the Texas Senate primary

Although Democrats often choose between moderate and progressive candidates in primaries, they faced a largely stylistic choice in Texas.

Tallarico, 36, is a member of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary who quotes Scripture and rarely raises his voice. Crockett, 44, is a fearless politician who attacks Trump and other Republicans with harsh words.

Both have been reliably progressive voices in their current roles and faces of television across cable news and social media. Both represent a generational change for a party with an aging leadership. Each called for a more equitable economy and society. Each spoke of bringing diverse voters into their coalitions.

But Tallarico’s broader argument is one he could have made regardless of whether Trump was in the White House or not. Tallarico’s campaign is about addressing a country whose fundamental division is not partisan but “top versus bottom,” he said often. He regularly attacks the rise of Christian nationalism. A former teacher, he has advocated for public education — and against Texas conservative policies to restrict the curriculum and reshape how U.S. history is taught.

“He’s just a good friend and a serious advocate for the disenfranchised and a serious policy maker,” said Leah Downey Gallatin, 40, an Austin resident who became friends with Tallarico when they interned together for a congressman.

Crockett promised Democrats she could increase turnout within the party’s base, while Tallarico campaigned on the theory that he could attract new people to the party tent.

“I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and whispered that they’re not Democrats,” Tallarico said while campaigning in San Antonio in the final days of the primary campaign. “I can’t tell you how many young people have said this is their first time ever voting, that they’re participating for the first time.”

While walking around town, Talarico took photos and greeted the singer of a Tejano band playing nearby. He later spoke to hundreds of people in the historic Stable Hall, a 130-year-old circular structure built to show horses and now converted into an event center. Hundreds more, unable to make it to the full event, wound around the corner and along the sidewalk looking for blocks.

Inside, Lori Alvarez, a 39-year-old who works for a disaster relief nonprofit, said she supports Tallarico because he “really listens to what we need.”

“I think he will be able to make a difference in Washington for us,” the married mother of three girls said.

However, that was not what attracted so many voters to Crockett.

Troy Burrows, a 61-year-old Navy retiree, described Crockett as “strong” and “the only person I see fighting for us.”

“I like that she doesn’t back down from anyone,” he added.

Some voters may have seen Talarico as more electable because he speaks less loudly, Burroughs said. But, he said, “We have to get into the gutter with these people, because that’s where they are.”

Meanwhile, Talarico continues to fight in his own way.

“Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little hope, and a little hope is dangerous,” he said Tuesday.

Barrow reported from Atlanta, Figueroa from Austin, Texas, and Beaumont from San Antonio.