Crockett and Talarico are making different bets about how Democrats can win a statewide Senate seat in Texas: Crockett leans on viral, confrontation-heavy clips that travel quickly on TikTok, while Talarico uses longer, debate-focused content and openly foregrounds his Christian faith. Both candidates, according to the Associated Press, are facing off in the Democratic primary on March 3 and are using social media to reach voters and donors in a state where Democrats have struggled for decades.
Crockett, a Democratic congresswoman from Texas, has drawn attention with what the AP described as her most-watched TikTok clip: a five-second interview outside the U.S. Capitol in which she responds to a question about billionaire Elon Musk with a vulgar two-word phrase. The AP reported that clip has been viewed 20.7 million times. By contrast, Talarico’s top TikTok video is an 88-second clip tied to a speech in which he argues that billionaires, not minorities, are destroying America, saying that “the biggest division in our politics is not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom.” The AP reported that video has been viewed 15.5 million times.
The campaigns’ online styles have also helped define how each candidate positions themselves within the Democratic race. Crockett has feuded with President Donald Trump and other Republicans, while Talarico presents himself as a policy-focused candidate and is known for quoting the Bible. “I think their voting records would be identical, but their style of politics is very different, which is fascinating to watch,” Allison Campolo, the Democratic Party chair for Fort Worth’s home county, said, according to the AP.
The AP report also described how social media can amplify misinterpretations. This week, an influencer posted that Talarico referred to former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred—Democrats’ unsuccessful 2024 Senate nominee—as “mediocre,” sparking a backlash. Talarico later put out a statement calling it a “mischaracterization” of a private conversation.
Crockett’s online reach, the AP said, includes a large baseline of followers. The report put her at 2.2 million TikTok followers, saying it gives her one of the largest reaches on the platform among members of Congress, and contrasted that with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York at 4.1 million followers. The AP also cited other Crockett posts that have drawn millions of views, including audio of Trump insulting her as she stays expressionless until flashing a smile, and clips showing her lip-syncing to “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes.
The AP’s account of Crockett’s rise tied those online moments to confrontations during her time in Congress. In one described May 2024 clash with then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene suggested during a hearing that Crockett’s “fake eyelashes” got in the way of reading legislation. Crockett responded with a put-down of her own, according to the AP’s description. The AP also said that after a viral video in which Crockett called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels,” she explained she was referring to Abbott using transportation to send migrants from Texas to U.S. cities.
In her only debate so far against Talarico, the AP said Crockett told audiences she is “not about politics as usual.” In the AP’s description, she added that “I think that I will do the edgy things, the things that the political consultants will never tell you to do.” The AP framed those statements as part of her broader effort to generate attention through moments that are designed to clip into short-form video.
Talarico’s digital strategy, the AP said, leans in a different direction. The report said he has 1.5 million TikTok followers and argued that Democrats cannot win the Texas seat “with the same old politics of division.” It described his approach as incorporating his background as a seminarian, with clips that show him asking pointed questions in legislative debates and opposing issues including school vouchers and a requirement that teachers post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. The AP said he also linked the content to his understanding of faith, including references to Jesus’ command to love others.
The AP reported that Talarico has also done long-form podcast interviews, including with Joe Rogan. It said Rogan endorsed Trump in 2024 after sitting down for an interview and told Talarico during their 2 1/2-hour podcast last summer that he should run for president.
Beyond brand-building, the AP said social media helps candidates raise money and test messaging. It cited remarks from Pinar Yildirim, an associate professor of marketing and economics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, saying candidates can “communicate as often as you want at the times that you prefer and you can vary the format.” The AP also cited Jennifer Stromer-Galley of Syracuse University, who said candidates can tie social media content to online ads to test what messages most effectively bring potential supporters to their websites.
Fundraising figures in the AP report put Crockett’s first-week haul at about $642,000 and said she has collected $6.5 million so far, most of it carried over from her House account. The AP said Talarico raised more than $1.2 million in his campaign’s first week and has collected more than $13 million in contributions so far. Mike Doyle, the Democratic chair for Austin’s home county, said online platforms allow donors to connect to the candidates even if they are not campaigning in person.
Doyle’s comment fit the AP’s broader framing of why this primary matters to Democrats. The AP said Democrats have not won a Senate race in Texas since 1988, but they see an opening this year. It cited Republicans potentially not renominating four-term Sen. John Cornyn and the possibility of a run by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, as well as Rep. Wesley Hunt seeking the GOP nomination. The AP also said Democrats’ recent electoral success since Trump began his second term—including a special election for the Texas state Senate last month—has buoyed expectations that this may be their year.