Texas Governor Spends Millions on Attack Ads Targeting Jasmine Crockett

Greg Abbott's ads aim to boost Republican turnout by portraying Crockett as a polarizing Democratic figure

Feb. 25, 2026 at 6:05pm

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott is spending millions of dollars on attack ads featuring Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett, who is locked in a contested primary against fellow Democrat James Talarico. The ads portray Crockett alongside other prominent national Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aiming to boost Republican turnout by painting Crockett as a polarizing figure on the left.

Why it matters

The ads appear to be a strategy to elevate a Democratic candidate that Republicans believe would be easier to defeat in the general election, similar to tactics used by Democrats in 2022 to boost far-right Republican candidates in primaries. This highlights the increasingly partisan and strategic nature of political advertising, where candidates from both parties try to influence the opposing party's primary process.

The details

Abbott's campaign has spent $3.4 million on two ads featuring Crockett. One ad includes video of Crockett saying "It is not a criminal violation to enter the country illegally," while another calls Crockett, Ocasio-Cortez, and Sanders "the new radical left." Abbott's chief strategist Dave Carney said they view Crockett as a more vulnerable general election candidate compared to Talarico, even though Talarico has a similar voting record.

  • The ads began running in February 2026, ahead of the March 3 Democratic primary election.

The players

Greg Abbott

The Republican governor of Texas who is expected to easily win his party's primary.

Jasmine Crockett

A Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Texas who is locked in a contested primary against fellow Democrat James Talarico.

James Talarico

A Democratic state representative running against Crockett in the Texas U.S. Senate primary, positioning himself as a less partisan candidate.

Dave Carney

Greg Abbott's top political strategist.

Vinny Minchillo

A longtime Republican political consultant from the Dallas area who was not involved with the ads.

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What they’re saying

“You vote for us Republicans, or you get this: A.O.C. and Mamdani and Crockett.”

— Dave Carney, Greg Abbott's top political strategist

“They really are scared. This is why the governor is spending over a million dollars a week right now against me.”

— Jasmine Crockett

What’s next

The Democratic primary election in Texas is scheduled for March 3, 2026.

The takeaway

This case highlights the increasingly partisan and strategic nature of political advertising, where candidates from both parties try to influence the opposing party's primary process by elevating candidates they believe will be easier to defeat in the general election.