Texas Democratic voters selected state Rep. James Talarico as their U.S. Senate nominee in November, defeating U.C. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. This move is seen as another disappointing move by the party, which has not been elected to the US Senate in Texas since 1988. The author argues that the myth of the moderate swing voter should be retired and that the Democratic primary was about how the party would lose the midterms. With either candidate, Talario could have been a promising candidate who would attract a new generation of voters. Instead, voters chose to play it safe and avoid challenging the status quo.