CHICAGO, April 9 - A coalition of white, college-educated Democrats and Latino voters delivered Texas state Representative James Talarico the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate last month. But his chance of winning the seat in November may hinge on a group that he did not capture much support from: Black voters.

Talarico, a white Presbyterian seminarian who has emphasized his Christian faith, defeated U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Black woman whose sharp criticism of President Donald Trump and Republicans made her a prominent figure in the party.

Texans haven’t elected a Democrat statewide since 1994, so for Talarico to get there, he’ll have to win over a significant percentage of Crockett’s voters, some of whom felt slighted by his supporters questioning her electability versus a Republican in November.

While Crockett's late bid lacked the campaign infrastructure and fundraising abilities of her opponent, some of her voters saw the notion that a white state representative was more electable than a Black congresswoman as rooted in racism and sexism.

“A lot of people took offense to that. Me personally included,” said state Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, whose Houston district includes several historically Black neighborhoods. “They have to do the work to invest resources in reaching Black voters and making them feel centered and a part of this campaign.”

Talarico received 1.21 million votes in the primary compared to Crockett’s 1.07 million, but in the 15 counties in the state where at least one in five voting-age citizens identify as Black, Crockett handily beat Talarico, 57% to 42%, according to a Reuters analysis.

Dallas Jones, a Texas Democratic strategist, believes Talarico doesn't need an "overwhelming surge" of support from Black voters, but he does need to make sure they don't stay home.

“He cannot win this state without the support of Black Texans," Jones said.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate, and while Texas is not a central part of national Demo...