Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) said she wants to converse with Texas voters but does not need to “convert” all of MAGA to her cause in her Senate campaign.
Crockett announced her Senate bid on Monday, changing the field dramatically.
“Yeah, I don’t know that we’ll necessarily convert all of Trump’s supporters,” Crockett said in response to a question about how she will sway President Donald Trump’s supporters. “That’s not our goal.”
“Our goal is to definitely talk to people,” she said. “No, we don’t need to. Our goal is to make sure that we can engage people that historically have not been talked to, because there’s so many people that get ignored, specifically in the state of Texas. Listen, the state of Texas is 61% people of color. We have a lot of good folks that we can talk to.”
Texas voted to elect Trump in 2024, with 56.14% of the vote going to the president and 42.46% going to then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) beat then-Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) by a slightly smaller margin, 53.05% to 44.56%.
Crockett will likely need at least some Trump or Cruz voters to win in 2026. A path to victory without them would be considerably more difficult. She said she may start with targeting minority voters in the state.
“We know that when Beto came really close — Beto, who is a progressive — we know that he got 65% of the Latino vote,” Crockett said. “So, what did they do after that? They specifically went after Latinos. We know that he got close to 90%, or right there, at 90% of the African American vote. So, honestly, what we need to do is start talking to the vast majority of Texas. I think my message is very much a mainstream message.”
As a main message, she wants to point to affordability, as many Democrats have recently.
“My message is real simple: I’m looking out for you, your survival and the survival of your kids, as it relates to affordability, being able to actually go and access healthcare, being able to send your child to school, being able to afford a roof over your head,” she said.
“If that’s not what Trump supporters want, then fine,” Crockett added. “Then they absolutely won’t listen to me. But I’m here for the everyday person. The person that’s not the billionaire on the list that Trump has decided to take care of. But the people that he left sitting out in the cold, just like he did when he decided to be sworn in, and he decided that, Inauguration Day, he would have it inside, while so many of his loyal supporters were outside.”
Democratic state Rep. James Talarico will be Crockett’s top primary competitor. He drew considerable interest for a statewide bid after his Joe Rogan podcast appearance energized Democrats. Allred dropped out of the race right before Crockett’s entry.
Talarico has chosen more diplomatic political paths than Crockett, setting up a contrast between the pair in the primary. While Crockett is known for being politically aggressive, Talarico, who wants to be a minister, let her know early that he is not interested in a confrontation.
“We will make the case for why we are best positioned to win this race — but we will always treat Congresswoman Crockett with the utmost respect,” he said in a video to supporters. “She is my colleague and a leader in our state. She deserves nothing less.”
It is unclear how their race will shake out, but whoever wins will face the winner of a likely messy Republican primary. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) are battling for the nomination.
JASMINE CROCKETT JUMPS INTO TEXAS SENATE RACE HOURS AFTER COLIN ALLRED DROPPED OUT
The congresswoman revealed her early campaign strategy on Monday. Crockett’s opening video ad featured 45 seconds of Trump’s greatest hits on the Texas congresswoman.
The ad signaled she will try to ride her rise to popularity, which came with the help of the president’s knocks, to the Democratic nomination.
