Jasmine Crockett launches Texas Senate bid with a vow to Trump: ‘I’m coming for you’

By David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — US Rep. Jasmine Crockett filed Monday to run for US Senate from Texas in 2026, leaning into the criticisms of President Donald Trump that have built her national profile while also worrying Democrats hoping for a long-shot upset.

“Trump, I know you’re watching, so let me tell you directly,” Crockett said Monday night at her announcement event in Dallas. “You’re not entitled to a damn thing in Texas. You better get to work because I’m coming for you.”

Crockett, a 44-year-old congresswoman and former civil rights attorney, posted a video before her speech in which she says nothing. Instead, she looks off-screen as Trump’s voice can be heard insulting her and calling her a “very low IQ person.” She then turns to the camera, crosses her arms and smiles before the video cuts off with the message “Crockett for US Senate.”

The video and her speech were clear signs 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.

Crockett rejected arguments that she was out of step in the nation’s largest conservative state, saying she would turn out voters who were otherwise staying home and noting examples of other Democrats, including Barack Obama, who ignored naysayers.

“Turning Texas blue is what I want to talk to y’all about today,” she told the crowd in Dallas. “Now, there are those who say, ‘Ain’t no way, we done tried this 50 kinds of ways.’ Let me be clear: Y’all ain’t never tried it the JC way.”

Earlier Monday, Democratic former US Rep. Colin Allred announced he was ending his Senate campaign and would instead run to once again represent the Lone Star State in the House. CNN previously reported that Crockett asked Allred to drop out of the race, and she 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.”

The shake-up 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.”

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 has spent weeks floating a potential Senate bid, making calls and sounding out potential supporters, as Democrats game out a reshuffled slate for 2026 and hope to take advantage of an already contentious GOP primary. Democrats need to net four Senate seats in next year’s midterms to gain control of the chamber, which would require them to make gains in states Trump won.

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.

Trump has refrained from endorsing in the race, prompting a fierce fight over his supporters among the GOP contenders.

If Allred stayed in the Senate race after Crockett joined, that would have left three viable contenders in the Democratic primary, increasing the likelihood that no candidate would win a majority in March, requiring a May runoff.

“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.”

US Rep. Joaquin Castro, who was involved in discussions about running for Texas attorney general but chose to seek reelection for his House seat, 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.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.