U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas is moving closer to launching a long-anticipated bid for the U.S. Senate, announcing she will make a “special announcement” on Monday as speculation about her political future intensifies.
Crockett, a second-term Democrat with a fast-growing national profile and large social media following, has openly discussed the possibility of a Senate run for weeks. She has said she is testing the waters through polling and believes she could accomplish what no Texas Democrat has done in more than three decades: win a statewide race by expanding the electorate. “I am closer to yes than I am no,” Crockett said Sunday in an interview with MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.
In one of the strongest indications yet that she is preparing to enter the race, Crockett confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that she contacted both of her prospective primary opponents — former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and state Rep. James Talarico — to discuss the results of internal polling she commissioned. The Talarico campaign said he spoke with Crockett over the weekend but that no data was shared, while the Crockett campaign said she offered to share the results but Talarico declined to review them. Those polling numbers have not been made public.
If Crockett joins the contest, the Democratic primary would expand from a two-person field into a crowded race likely headed for a March 3 runoff. Many Democrats had hoped to avoid a prolonged primary, particularly as the Republican Senate race between Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt is expected to go to a runoff as well. A quick Democratic resolution would allow the nominee to conserve resources for the general election.
Efforts by party leaders to encourage a coordinated slate of statewide candidates fell apart earlier this year. High-profile Democrats, including Allred, Talarico, Rep. Joaquin Castro and former candidate Beto O’Rourke, discussed dividing up marquee races but failed to reach an agreement before Allred launched his campaign.
Crockett said she wants to assemble a diverse slate that reflects different voter coalitions and fundraising strengths, arguing she performs best among Black and brown voters. With the Dec. 8 filing deadline looming, Democrats face mounting uncertainty.
Public polling suggests Crockett would be formidable in a primary but face steep challenges in a general election. A late-September University of Houston poll showed her leading the Democratic field, but trailing Republican contenders, though her matchup against Paxton fell within the margin of error.
