A Black Texas Democratic Party vice chair was caught on an undercover audio recording describing concerns about James Talarico, her party’s Senate candidate, and his disregard for the needs and contributions of Black Americans.
Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair for Voter Engagement Sheena (King) Flanary was secretly recorded by an undercover interviewer discussing Talarico winning his party’s nomination by beating out Black U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). A video containing the audio was reportedly created on September 7, 2026.
In the recording exclusively obtained by The Dallas Express, an undercover interviewer (identified only as “Friend/Assistant Jasmine Crockett for U.S. Senate Campaign”) begins by saying that he feels that Crockett lost because “they chose this White guy.”
“Yeah,” Flanary agreed and then confirmed when she was asked again.
“The way it was done, just felt really like intentionally racist and sexist,” the undercover interviewer said. Flanary concurred.
The Black Democrat Vice Chair then explained how she had been disrespected and rejected by the Talarico campaign each time she offered her support:
- “I was kind of rebuffed” by the Talarico campaign.
- “He didn’t even want our money” when my husband and I offered to fundraise for his campaign.
- Talarico campaign’s response to our outreach “wasn’t receptive and reciprocated.”
- Interactions with Talarico campaign left “a bad taste in my mouth.”
“And, I’m like, ‘Okay, so do you want Black people to help you or you don’t want Black people to help you?’” Flanary summed up her experiences with the Talarico campaign.
Ironically, Black voters in Texas still overwhelmingly support Talarico’s Senate candidacy, though they greatly favored Crockett over him in the Democrats’ primary.
According to the Texas Democratic Party website, Vice Chair for Voter Engagement Flanary “is a fourth generation Texan, community activist, business leader and organizational change coach.”
Read full story by The Dallas Express.
The full transcript of the audio is presented below.
Crockett Supporter: “We put in a lot of work, you know, to get Jasmine in. And then, what I felt like I saw, is that, you know, that they chose the White guy, is what it felt like.”
Sheena Flanary: “Yeah.”
Crockett Supporter: “You know what I mean?”
Flanary: “Yeah.”
Crockett Supporter: “It felt very, um, kind of racist.”
Flanary: “Yeah.”
Crockett Supporter: “The way it was done, just felt really like intentionally racist and sexist.”
Flanary: “Yeah. You’re not wrong. I felt it, too. And, I tried to reach out a few times and it wasn’t receptive and reciprocated. And, I’m like, ‘I’m not, why am I trying so hard? So.”
Crockett Supporter: “Oh, you mean reach out to like the Tala…(sic)?”
Flanary: “Yeah, the campaign. I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth from a few interactions that I’ve attempted to actual reach out to them, with no requests for anything, you know, on my behalf, just, you know, to try to support – and I was kind of rebuffed.
“And, I’m like, ‘Okay, so do you want Black people to help you or you don’t want Black people to help you?’ It was kind of weird.
“I mean, even me and my husband even offered to do a fundraiser for him. So, he didn’t even want our money. Which is so weird because, before this, I thought we were kind of cool.”
Crockett Supporter: “So, he’s making all these, kind of like, you know, statements to, sort of like, ensure Black support – like he would support reparations and blah, blah, blah, blah – but, it feels like you said, a little bit too late and I feel like he’s just trying to pacify Black people who he’s largely overlooked.
“Like, he has not been looking out for Black people.”
Flanary: “Yeah, I agree. I agree.”
