Texas Democratic Party
The state party whose 2026 Senate primary was thrust into national spotlight when CBS blocked Colbert's interview with frontrunner James Talarico, inadvertently generating millions in free publicity.
The 2026 Senate Primary
The Texas Democratic Senate primary featured two leading candidates: state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. An Emerson College poll showed Talarico leading 47% to 38%.
CBS cited the obligation to provide equal time to Crockett as justification for blocking the Talarico interview — but the interview had never been subject to equal time enforcement in the history of late-night television.
The irony: the censorship made the Texas Senate primary a national story, generating $2.5 million in fundraising and 6.4 million YouTube views for Talarico — far more attention than a routine late-night interview would have produced.