On December 9, 2025, the Texas political landscape shifted dramatically as Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, known for her fiery rhetoric and unapologetic progressive stance, officially launched her campaign for the U.S. Senate. With a packed crowd of supporters in Dallas and the clock ticking on the state's candidate filing deadline, Crockett declared her intention to take on incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn and, by extension, the Texas GOP’s decades-long hold on statewide office.
“You better get to work because I’m coming for you,” Crockett said, addressing former President Donald Trump directly during her announcement event, as reported by CNN. Her campaign video, which played before her speech, featured Trump’s own disparaging remarks—calling her a “low IQ person”—a label Crockett swiftly rebutted, even offering to take an IQ test against the former president. The message was clear: Crockett was ready for a fight, and she wasn’t backing down from anyone, not even Trump himself.
Crockett’s announcement capped a day of political maneuvering. Former Rep. Colin Allred, who had been considered a strong Democratic contender after his high-profile but unsuccessful challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, withdrew from the Senate race following what he described as a “professional, friendly conversation” with Crockett. Instead, Allred opted to run for Texas’s newly redrawn 33rd congressional district, citing a desire to avoid a “bruising primary” and to keep the Democratic Party unified as it seeks to flip the Senate. “This is not a normal time,” Allred told CNN, referencing the heightened stakes and the impact of Trump-era policies on Texas communities.
The Democratic primary, now set for March 3, 2026, will see Crockett face off against state Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher who has built his own following with viral social media posts challenging Republican policies. Talarico welcomed Crockett to the race, emphasizing his campaign’s fundraising prowess—nearly $6.3 million raised in just three weeks after launching his committee in September, with almost $5 million on hand at the end of that month. Crockett, meanwhile, had raised about $2.7 million for her House campaign fund in the same period, finishing September with $4.6 million.
“Our movement is rooted in unity over division—so we welcome Congresswoman Crockett into this race,” Talarico said in a statement, highlighting his 10,000 volunteers and the grassroots momentum behind his campaign. But the path to the Democratic nomination is only the first hurdle. If no candidate secures a majority in the March primary, the contest will advance to a May 26 runoff, setting the stage for a potentially bruising intra-party battle before the general election even begins.
On the Republican side, the primary is equally contentious. Incumbent John Cornyn, seeking a fifth Senate term, faces fierce challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton—a Trump loyalist with a controversial legal history—and Rep. Wesley Hunt, a Houston-area congressman. Paxton’s close alignment with Trump has energized the GOP’s conservative base, but also made him a lightning rod for criticism. According to NPR, Texas Democrats see their best chance of flipping the seat if Paxton emerges as the GOP nominee, given his polarizing reputation and ongoing legal troubles.
Despite the energetic field, the odds remain steep for Democrats. Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, a drought Crockett is determined to end. “For most of us, a Republican-controlled Texas is all we’ve known. But we cannot let that diminish our faith and belief in what can be,” she told supporters, as reported by NPR. Crockett’s pitch to voters is rooted in economic populism—slashing costs, making homeownership and entrepreneurship attainable, and strengthening the middle class across the state, from the panhandle to Port Arthur and El Paso to East Texas.
Her candidacy is also historic in another way. If successful, Crockett would become the first Black woman ever elected to statewide office in Texas. She’s not alone in that possibility—Rep. Wesley Hunt, one of Cornyn’s Republican challengers, could also claim that milestone if he prevails. The prospect of breaking this barrier has added a layer of significance to an already high-stakes race.
Crockett’s rise has been anything but conventional. A civil rights attorney and former public defender, she was once the youngest Black Democratic county chair in Texas before winning her U.S. House seat in 2022 from a safe blue Dallas-area district. Her tenure in Congress has been marked by viral moments and sharp exchanges with Republican colleagues, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace. She has also drawn criticism for her blunt style—mocking Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as “Gov. Hot Wheels” in reference to his immigration policies, a remark she later clarified was aimed at his use of planes and buses to transport migrants to Democratic-led cities.
Republicans have wasted no time trying to turn Crockett’s combative persona into a liability. Attorney General Paxton labeled her “Crazy Crockett,” while Cornyn told reporters at the Capitol, “I think that would be a lot of fun. She just says such inflammatory and crazy things.” Yet Democratic strategists argue that Crockett’s national profile, cable news presence, and ability to energize the party’s base could be assets in a state where turnout and coalition-building are crucial. Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant with experience in Texas races, noted, “It’s about building complicated coalitions in a big state.” To win, Marshall said, a Democrat must energize Black voters in Houston and Dallas, appeal to diverse suburban and exurban communities, and make inroads with rural Latino voters in the Rio Grande Valley.
The stakes could not be higher. Republicans currently control the Senate 53 to 47, and Democrats need to flip four GOP-held seats in the 2026 elections to regain the majority. Texas, despite its deep-red reputation, is seen as a critical battleground—especially in light of recent Democratic gains in 2025 and Trump’s waning popularity in some quarters. The last time Democrats came close to a statewide win was in 2018, when Beto O’Rourke nearly unseated Sen. Ted Cruz. But as history shows, “nearly” isn’t enough.
For now, Crockett’s campaign is betting that her willingness to go toe-to-toe with Trump and the Texas GOP will resonate with voters hungry for change. “What we need is not only a voice, but we need to make sure that we are going to stop all the hell that is raining down on all of our people,” she told supporters, as reported by The 19th. Whether that message will be enough to break Texas Democrats’ three-decade losing streak remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: with Jasmine Crockett in the race, the 2026 Texas Senate contest will be anything but dull.
