Days before the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Texas on Tuesday, former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) as the Democratic choice to unseat the incumbent, four-term Republican Senator John Cornyn, who is fighting for his party’s nomination against MAGA-aligned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Despite Harris’s late support, Crockett lost the Democratic primary to State Rep. James Talarico, who will be the candidate in November. (The Republican primary saw neither Cornyn nor Paxton emerge with 50% of the vote, setting up a runoff on May 26.)
Billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban, who campaigned for Harris in 2024, responded to the Talarico win on social media by writing: “Apparently @jamestalarico won with a huge turnout from young adults. Want to know why? Here is my guess: On social media, the algorithms give you more of what you consume. Talarico’s messages are positive. To the point of being ‘syrupy’.”
Apparently @jamestalarico won with a huge turnout from young adults. Want to know why? Here is my guess:
On social media, the algorithms give you more of what you consume. Talarico’s messages are positive. To the point of being “syrupy”.
Voters that committed to watching…
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) March 5, 2026
He added: “Voters that committed to watching his social posts, got more of not only his posts, but also other positive messages. Contrast that with historically negative messaging across past elections, and I think the contrast was striking and motivational for many. Enough to draw record numbers to a primary. It may be crazy to some, but the idea of ‘my feed and FYP got better the more I watched his videos’ is enough to get voters excited to support and vote for him. Call it ‘PositivityMaxxing’. But I truly believe that candidates that can give positive messages, authentically and confidently, can be part of a new successful trend. Regardless of party or office. Thoughts?”
Republican digital strategist and tech entrepreneur Steven Johnston (founder of GovPredict) replied to Cuban: “Bringing positivity helps. But also… Being different helps: positivity is different in a toxic climate. And he’s young, too, unlike most candidates for Senate.”
[NOTE: Talarico is 36; Crockett is 44. Cornyn and Paxton are 74 and 63, respectively.]
Johnston added: “Resembling the audience helps: young people open to hearing a message from a young messenger. Having national appeal helps: algorithms are international/national, not state/district, so having viewers everywhere helps boost viewership here in Texas. Going on podcasts with huge followings helps: I’d never heard of him before Rogan episode, despite living in Texas. Positivity is an ingredient, but perhaps not the whole dish.”