Jasmine Crockett launches Texas Senate bid with a video of Trump insults
CNN
By David Wright, CNN
(CNN) — US Rep. Jasmine Crockett filed Monday to run for US Senate from Texas in 2026, entering the race on the same day that a potential rival, Colin Allred, ended his bid.
Crockett, the 44-year-old congresswoman who’s drawn national attention for her criticisms of President Donald Trump, posted a video on her social media account in which she says nothing. She looks off screen as Trump’s voice can be heard insulting her and calling her a “very low IQ person,” then turns to the camera and smiles. The video then cuts off with the message, “Crockett for US Senate.”
The video is an early indication that Crockett will lean into her pugnacious reputation and her opposition to Trump even in deep-red Texas, where national Democrats are hoping they can spring an upset due in part to Republican turmoil. Some are privately critical of Crockett for entering the race and argue she’s made what was already a difficult task even harder.
“There’s a responsibility that lies with all of us, especially in this moment,” Crockett said at her campaign launch event in Dallas, Texas, on Monday evening. “There are a lot of people that said, ‘You gotta stay in the House. We need your voice. We need you there.’ And I understand, but what we need is for me to have a bigger voice. 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.”
The shakeup follows several developments that have changed the political calculus heading into next year’s midterm elections. State Republicans’ unprecedented mid-decade redistricting this summer upended the House map, while a contentious GOP Senate primary has emboldened Democrats in the 2026 race for Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s seat.
“I think she wins the Democratic primary, and she is the worst possible candidate they could have in Texas,” Cornyn told reporters Monday. “She’s not electable.”
Earlier Monday, Allred, a former Texas Democratic representative, announced that he was ending his Senate campaign and would instead run to once again represent the Lone Star State in Congress. CNN previously reported that Crockett asked Allred to drop out of the race, and has cited a poll in some conversations that shows her in strong shape.
Allred launched his Senate campaign in July after running unsuccessfully in 2024 against the state’s other Republican senator, Ted Cruz. Allred will now run for Texas’ redrawn 33rd Congressional District.
Allred acknowledged that he had spoken with Crockett, whom he called “a friend,” about the race, saying it was “a professional, friendly conversation.”
“I needed to try and decide what I thought would be best for the state, for the party in a time and in a year where there is so much at stake,” he told CNN.
Texas State Sen. James Talarico, who elevated his profile during clashes over the Republican redistricting effort this summer, will also run in the Democratic Senate primary. He joined the race in September and has quickly topped Allred’s fundraising numbers.
“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,” Talarico said in a statement. “Our movement is rooted in unity over division — so we welcome Congresswoman Crockett into this race.”
Crockett, meanwhile, has spent weeks floating a potential Senate bid, making calls and sounding out potential supporters, as Democrats game out a reshuffled slate for 2026. Crockett and Rep. Marc Veasey, a fellow Dallas Democrat dealing with the gerrymandered breakup of his current seat, discussed sequencing on Monday for him to file in her district shortly after she submits her Senate paperwork.
Monday’s shake-up injects fresh intrigue to a Texas Senate race that has already been marked by high drama.
Cornyn, a two-decade Republican veteran of the Senate who has held office in Texas since the 1990s, is facing multiple primary challengers, including the state’s controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton, and US Rep. Wesley Hunt from the 38th District.
President Donald Trump has so far refrained from endorsing in the race, prompting a fierce fight over his supporters among the GOP contenders.
Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the Republican infighting and put Cornyn’s seat in play after repeated frustrations at the statewide level in Texas over the years. It’s an open question, though, which contender gives the party its best shot.
If Crockett were to join the Senate race and Allred stayed in it, that would have left three viable contenders in the Democratic primary, increasing the likelihood that no candidate would win a majority in March and a runoff in May would be required.
“To me, going through a bruising primary, and in Texas, we have a runoff – and we would certainly have a runoff in this case – was not in the best interest of the state or the party,” Allred told CNN on Monday.
Allred will now run for Texas’ redrawn 33rd Congressional District, setting up a competitive primary against Rep. Julie Johnson, who plans to move from the 32nd District.
“This new district deserves representation that has been present in the tough moments, including throughout the redistricting fight, instead of parachuting back when another campaign doesn’t work out,” Johnson said in a statement. “Families here are dealing with rising costs, housing pressures, and real economic strain. They deserve someone with a strong record in Democratic collaboration and support.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro, who was involved in discussions about running for Texas attorney general but chose to seek reelection, said Crockett should run for Senate “if that’s where her heart is and that’s where her mind is.”
“Jasmine is a fighter, she’s an incredibly dynamic person,” Castro told CNN’s “The Situation Room.” “She’s got a message that’s resonating, not only with the Democratic base, but I think with Americans across the country.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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