Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico discusses comments about Colin Allred
During a Wednesday interview, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate James Talarico reiterated that he “never attacked” his former primary opponent based on his race.
Talarico, a state representative from Round Rock, was responding in a meeting with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial board to allegations that he called former U.S. Rep. Collin Allred, a Dallas Democrat, a “mediocre Black man.”
A TikTok user recently posted that Talarico made the comments while talking with her. Allred responded with a blistering video that was punctuated with a call to support U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Crockett and Talarico are in a March 3 primary for one of the Texas’ U.S. Senate seats. Allred, a former congressman and civil rights attorney who played in the NFL, was running for Senate position, but dropped out of the race and is now vying for Congressional District 32.
Talarico said in a Monday statement that he was describing Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre. He described the “mediocre Black man” comment as a “mischaracterization of a private conversation.”
“I did use the word mediocre, but I never attacked the Congressman on the basis of race,” Talarico said in the Wednesday interview.
Talarico said the Democratic Party needs leaders who are going to “lower the temperature” and focus on unity and winning in November.
“I know that primaries get nasty like this,” Talarico said. “Especially when you have allegations made on TikTok without any evidence, but I think we as leaders have a responsibility to lower the temperature, stick to the facts, to talk to each other before we take to the internet.”
Talarico said he hasn’t spoken with Allred about the comments.
Talarico said he was trying to “lower the temperature instead of fanning the flames” with his Monday statement and is focused on his campaign, the “issues people care about” and keeping the party together.
Despite disagreements over Allred’s campaign style, Talarico said he respects the former congressman as a person and public servant.
“Both of those things can be true at the same time,” he said.
The TikTok user said Talarico told her he “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable and intelligent Black woman.” In follow up videos, the poster has defended the credibility of the claim.
“If you want to compliment Black women, just do it, don’t do it while also tearing down a Black man, OK?” Allred said in his Monday response video. “We’ve seen that play before. We’re sick and tired of it. We’re tired of folks using praise for Black women to mask criticism for Black men. That’s not good for our community.”
Crockett addressed the dispute in a Monday Star-Telegram editorial board interview.
“I definitely don’t think there’s anything mediocre about Colin Allred,” Crockett said.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 12:41 PM.
