In Dallas, the unfolding drama of delayed vote counts took center stage as Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, addressed her supporters with a surprising announcement. Citing a significant delay in the tallying of votes in Dallas County, Crockett informed her audience that she would be leaving her own watch party earlier than expected.
“We need to see the Dallas County votes to understand where they stand,” Crockett explained, as reported by NOTUS. She accused the GOP of deliberately targeting Democratic voters, suggesting potential foul play in the voting process.
Speaking to her supporters, Crockett, who is running against James Talarico, encouraged them to enjoy the evening despite the uncertainties. “I won’t be coming back tonight because it’s unclear when we’ll actually receive the results. I fully expect it won’t be until tomorrow,” she stated, expressing her frustration over the delay.
Meanwhile, NBC News’ political analyst, Steve Kornacki, provided his insights during a livestream. He noted that even if the remaining votes from Dallas County were to be counted, Crockett would likely still fall short of closing the gap with Talarico’s current lead.
The day’s events were further complicated by a Texas Supreme Court decision earlier on Tuesday. The court ruled that ballots cast after 7 p.m. Central Time should be separated from the earlier ones. This came after a lower court had ordered polling locations, predominantly Democratic, in Dallas County to remain open for an additional two hours due to voter confusion.
Amid the chaos, Crockett voiced her concerns, suggesting that “cheating” may have already been set in motion, allegedly driven by Republican strategies. The situation has left many questioning the integrity of the electoral process and awaiting the final results with bated breath.
“Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do, and so they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why,” she told her supporters in Dallas at a watch party.
Talarico was ahead of Crockett, 51.6% to 41.7%, with about two-thirds of the vote counted a little after 10 p.m. CT.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face off in November against either Sen. John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
