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Democratic strategists are raising alarms that James Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate nominee, faces a structural vulnerability heading into November: a significant drop in enthusiasm among Black voters, particularly Black women, following his primary defeat of Black congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
Ashley Etienne, a former advisor to President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, says that sentiment of "betrayal" among that voter group could prove decisive in a state where approximately 1.1 million registered Black voters currently sit out elections.
What the Enthusiasm Gap Means in Practice Voter enthusiasm, as a political concept, measures not whether a constituency supports a candidate but whether supporters feel motivated enough to show up.
In a solidly Republican state like Texas, that distinction matters more than in competitive ones: a Democrat cannot win by persuading Republican-leaning voters but must instead activate dormant Democratic-aligned ones.
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