Takeaways from the first Texas Senate Democratic primary debate

By Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — The first debate in the Texas Senate Democratic primary on Saturday revealed few policy differences between US Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico.

The contrast was instead between their styles and the approaches each would take to try to flip a Republican-held seat. No Democrat has won a statewide election in Texas in more than three decades.

The one-hour debate came less than six weeks before the state’s March 3 primaries, which include a Republican contest featuring incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, US Rep. Wesley Hunt, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s debate:

Virality vs. unity

Crockett and Talarico agreed on a general principle: Democrats need a fighter in the US Senate. They diverged on how to wage that fight.

“I am here to tell you that while the system has been fighting me, I have been fighting them back,” Crockett said.

Crockett, a 44-year-old former state representative and civil rights lawyer, has risen to prominence through an outspoken and fiery style showcased in viral moments on social media. Those moments have rankled Republicans and at times some in her own party.

“He’s not as known right now, because I have engaged in these fights,” she said of Talarico, with whom she served in the state legislature. “I will do the edgy things, the things that the political consultants will never tell you to do, because right now, people are hurting.”

“It’s not about who sounds as clean as possible. It is about tapping into the rawness of this moment,” she added.

Later, in her closing statement, Crockett said, “Whoever goes to the United States Senate is going to have to be ready for real war.”

Talarico, a 36-year-old former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, has a more subdued approach and often talks about his faith as he tries to attract voters across the political spectrum.

“The real fight in this country is not left versus right. It’s top versus bottom,” Talarico said. “We will not win this race in November with the same old politics of division.”

Would they abolish ICE?

Both candidates decried the Trump administration’s handling of immigration, speaking hours after a border agent in Minneapolis shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti. It was the second fatal shooting of a protester by federal immigration authorities during their ongoing operation in Minnesota.

Crockett called US Immigration and Customs Enforcement a “rogue organization,” while Talarico accused agents of having “executed a man in broad daylight on our streets just this morning.”

When pressed on her position on abolishing or defunding ICE, Crockett said, “We absolutely have to clean house, whatever that looks like, I am willing to do it.”

Asked the same question, Talarico said, “It’s time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that actually is going to focus on public safety.”

Both Cornyn and Paxton posted on social media during Saturday’s debate accusing the two Democrats of wanting to abolish ICE, a political flashpoint that has divided the national Democratic Party in recent years.

Immigration and border issues loom large in Texas, which has a 1,254 mile section of the U.S.-Mexico border. The state is home to large refugee and other immigrant communities as well as tens of thousands of border agents and other law enforcement focused on immigration.

Crockett and Talarico were asked how they would balance their opposition to ICE with the feelings of constituents who support the enforcement actions taken by the administration.

“They are supposed to do Immigration and Customs Enforcement, not going after US citizens, not going after people that are documented,” Crockett said. “They are turning us into Nazi Germany by saying they’re going to go door to door.”

“Our southern border should be like our front porch. There should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,” said Talarico, who pointed to his familial ties to the Texas border city of Laredo. “We can welcome immigrants who want to live the American dream. We can build a pathway to citizenship for those neighbors who have been here, making us richer and stronger, and we can keep out people who mean to do us harm.”

On impeaching Trump

Some in the Democratic base would like to see their leaders pursue impeachment if the party wins control of the US House this fall.

“I think that there is more than enough to impeach Donald Trump,” Crockett said. “I think that he should be impeached as it relates to his unlawful use of the tariffs. That’s a very easy one. He doesn’t have the legal authority to do it.”

Talarico would not go as far as calling for the president’s impeachment, instead arguing the actions of his administration should come under review.

“I think the administration has certainly committed impeachable offenses, particularly when it comes to using their public roles to enrich themselves,” Talarico said.

While speaking about immigration enforcement, Talarico said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should be impeached, a move Crockett has also backed.

Impeachment is an issue that could animate the Democratic base who want to see more aggressive push back on the president. But Democratic leaders are also keen on putting affordability messaging at the center of their midterm strategy.

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