Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the most prominent Democratic voices in Congress, appears to be launching a campaign for U.S. Senate. The Texas congresswoman would be looking to take a Senate seat that has long been held by the Republican Party. Crockett’s move comes as her district, and others, have been redrawn by Republican gerrymandering.
Crockett running for Senate
Crockett filed paperwork Monday to enter the Texas 2026 U.S. Senate race. At an event later on Monday, she said, “Trump, I know you’re watching, so let me tell you directly. You’re not entitled to a damn thing in Texas. You better get to work because I’m coming for you.”
Crockett was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 from the 30th District, which represents parts of Dallas. Crockett has been one of the most prominent public-facing Democrats in Congress and one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. She is expected to capitalize on her notoriety and track record of fighting the GOP agenda to appeal to Texas voters looking for an effective advocate against Trump. Dallas County Democratic Party Chairman Kardal Coleman recently stated of the Senate race that “voters are looking for someone who’s unapologetic in defending our values and who is plain spoken and knows how to speak the language of the everyday person.”
Crockett has been seen as a potential candidate for the Senate race for some time. Her entry into the race follows the announcement by former Rep. Colin Allred that he was dropping out of the Senate race to instead run for the U.S. House seat representing the Texas 33rd District. Allred, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, stated, “In the past few days, I’ve come to believe that a bruising Senate Democratic primary and runoff would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers Paxton, Cornyn, or Hunt.”
Political upheaval, competition in Texas
Crockett’s entry into the Senate race potentially resolves a dilemma facing Texas Democrats. After the state’s Republican Party pushed through a gerrymandered congressional map, which was recently upheld by the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court, Democrats have faced the possibility of losing up to five congressional seats in the 2026 election. In North Texas, the redrawn maps would have left three Democratic members of Congress — Crockett, Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey — essentially competing for two seats. Crockett’s entry into the Senate race now allows Johnson and Veasey to run in different districts. Crockett will, instead, have to compete against Texas State Rep. James Talarico in the March 3 primary.
The winner of that race will be running to win the seat that has been held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn since 2002. Cornyn is currently facing primary challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Paxton has made a name for himself by pushing an ultra-conservative GOP agenda in Texas; when Democratic lawmakers left the state earlier this year in an attempt to fight the Republican gerrymandering plan, Paxton threatened to arrest the legislators. Whichever candidate wins the Republican primary will likely take confidence from the fact that no Democrat has won a statewide election in Texas in over 30 years.
However, Crockett’s high profile and reputation within the state and across the U.S. will draw significant attention to her campaign. In Texas and in Washington, D.C., she has shown her ability to fight for her constituents and stand up to Trump and his allies.