Progressive Jasmine Crockett announces 2026 Senate run in Texas
The media-friendly Democratic congresswoman's entry into the race prompted the preemptive exit of Colin Allred, who was a 2024 candidate against Ted Cruz.
Jasmine Crockett in the 2024 DNC/Kamil Krzaczynski.
Jasmine Crockett filed her candidacy for Senate in Texas for the 2026 election. According to CBS News, the 44-year-old progressive entered the Democratic primary just hours before the filing deadline. The news prompted the preemptive exit of Colin Allred, a congressman and candidate in the 2024 Senate election, in which he was defeated by Ted Cruz.
Crockett, who represents Texas' 30th congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2023, had hinted that she had some important news to share with her supporters.
"It is hilarious to me that me saying that I will announce what I plan to do on 12/8, like I’ve been saying is scaring the heck out of so many people. The attacks are hilarious… note to those that don’t know how politics works… only the threat gets attacked. Again, my decision to go one way or another will be based upon facts & not feelings… historical data, trends, etc," she wrote on her X account.
On her new campaign website, the congresswoman pitches herself to voters as a "fighter for affordability, accountability, and action."
Crockett's progressive candidacy contrasts with that of her main primary rival, James Talarico. The young state representative crafted a centrist and pragmatic profile, which led him to gain a lot of attention from donors and the media.
"We're building a movement in Texas - fueled by record-breaking grassroots fundraising and 10,000 volunteers who are putting in the work to defeat the billionaire mega-donors and puppet politicians who have taken over our state. Our movement is rooted in unity over division — so we welcome Congresswoman Crockett into this race," Talarico's campaign said in a statement.
According to Texas election rules, if no candidate exceeds 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters must face off in a runoff to determine the party's nominee.
If she prevails in the primary, Crockett will have to face the winner of a close Republican primary. At the moment, the fight is split three ways between incumbent Senator John Cornyn, Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, and Congressman Wesley Hunt.
Who is Jasmine Crockett?
Thanks to her confrontational and media savvy style, she quickly became a household name on Capitol Hill. Among other things, she claimed that Hispanics who voted for Donald Trump have "slave mentality" and proposed that African Americans do not pay more taxes by way of racial reparations.
She also referred to Governor Greg Abbott, who is wheelchair-bound following an accident he suffered in 1984, as "Governor Hot Wheels."
She later denied that her comments had anything to do with Abbott's wheelchair: "I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable."
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