Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said Friday she will skip next week's Texas Democrat convention and is not committed to backing U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico, a sharp break with the party's effort to project unity heading into a marquee race against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Crockett, who lost the Democrat primary to Talarico in March, told the Dallas Morning News she would focus on down-ballot races nationwide rather than appear in Corpus Christi, where Texas Democrats plan to rally behind the ticket.

Asked whether she would actively support Talarico, she said, "I have no idea. I am more focused on down-ballot races in general."

She also questioned whether Black voters had coalesced behind the nominee.

"I've not heard a bunch of kumbaya," Crockett said. "People don't seem to be convinced at this point, but there's a lot of time between now and November."

She suggested the absence of a Black candidate atop the statewide ticket could dampen turnout.

Crockett dismissed an invitation from Talarico's camp.

"I had a missed call that I've not returned, nor have I listened to the message from Talarico," she said. "It seemed like an afterthought invite."

Talarico's campaign said he personally called and floated her as keynote speaker.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said Crockett had a standing invitation since March, adding, "We would love to have her there."

Talarico, an Austin-area state representative, is trying to consolidate the coalition Crockett built in a primary that drove record Democrat turnout.

Talarico took 53.1% to Crockett's 45.6% on March 3, an upset that defied pre-election polls and ended with Crockett conceding the next morning. He has since campaigned alongside Black candidates and courted her voters directly.

Crockett also questioned whether national donors would invest.

"If for some reason there's a surge, I don't think it's going to be because of anyone on this ticket," she said. "It'll be because of the overall environment, and that may be enough."

Scudder rejected suggestions of disunity, telling the paper, "There's great energy for Democrats all across the state."

Recent polling shows a close race.

A Quantus Insights survey of 800 likely Texas voters conducted June 3 to 4 showed Paxton ahead of Talarico 45% to 43%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 points.

A Texas Pulse poll from ReconMR, Siena Research Institute, and the Texas A&M Bush School, sponsored by the partnership, fielded June 1 to 4 among 807 likely voters, found the two tied at 46%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.