By ReShonda Tate
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett has entered the 2026 U.S. Senate race with the kind of firepower that has made her a nationally recognized figure — and a lightning rod. Her announcement immediately triggered one question across Texas political circles: Can she win?
Crockett thinks she can. And she says anyone doubting her simply misunderstands the electorate.
“A lot of people think this is about policy,” Crockett said in an interview with CNN. “But they can’t explain how you have Mondamí Trump voters, or Obama–Trump voters, or AOC–Trump voters. The reality is, people vote for who they believe is fighting for them.”
A fighter is exactly how she is presenting herself.
“I didn’t come to Congress to play it safe. I came to raise hell for working families, protect our freedoms, and call out extremism wherever it rears its head,” she said during her launch speech. “Now, with the stakes higher than ever, I’m stepping up again — this time to flip a Senate seat Republicans have held for far too long.”
A Strategy Built on Non-Traditional Voters
To win statewide, Democrats must reach millions of voters who have historically not turned out. Crockett says that is her path.
“We don’t need to convert all of Trump’s supporters. That’s not our goal,” she said. “Our goal is to engage people that historically have not been talked to, because there are so many people that get ignored — specifically in Texas.”
Crockett points to demographics as her greatest opportunity.
“Texas is 61% people of color,” she said. “We have a lot of good folk that we can talk to.”
She argues Democrats lose statewide not because the electorate is too conservative, but because millions of Democratic-leaning voters, disproportionately Black, Latino, young, and urban, don’t believe politics is speaking to them. She insists that she can.
“When I sign up to go to D.C., it’s always me taking the people with me,” she said. “It’s not ignoring their voices. That’s what moves people.”
Her Case: Bold, Authentic, and Unapologetic
Crockett is not moderating her message for Texas.
“The crossover doesn’t come because you decide to sound like a Republican,” she said. “The crossover comes because you make people believe that you will fight for them.”
Her launch video — featuring Donald Trump’s insults before she stares into the camera and smiles — signals she will not avoid confrontation with the former president.
“We are going to walk that fine line,” she said. “We’re going to be able to get people who potentially have voted for Trump, even though I’m one of his loudest opponents.”
Crockett enters the race as former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred exits, clearing her path in the Democratic primary. But the general election remains daunting.
Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term incumbent, faces a fractured Republican primary with contenders including Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. Trump has not endorsed any of the Republican candidates, adding uncertainty to the GOP landscape.
Some Democrats privately worry Crockett’s high-profile clashes with Republicans — especially Trump — could energize the GOP base. Others say she is precisely the kind of candidate needed to shake Texas politics from decades of stalemate.
Her Pitch: Try Something Texas Has Never Tried Before
Crockett repeated the message that has already become the slogan of her campaign:
“Turning Texas blue is what I want to talk to y’all about today,” she said. “Now, some 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.”
So…Can She Win?
The political math is complicated. No Democrat has won statewide in 30 years. But Crockett’s campaign is built on a theory of change that breaks from traditional Texas playbooks:
• Mobilize millions of Black and Latino voters who rarely vote in midterms
• Activate young voters energized by cultural and political fights
• Turn her national profile into grassroots momentum
• Capitalize on GOP infighting and demographic shifts
Crockett believes fiercely in her odds.
“I think I’ve got a track record of moving people,” she said. “And the people of Texas know I will fight for them.”
Whether that will be enough to flip a deeply conservative state remains to be seen — but Crockett has already made one thing clear: She’s betting big that Texas voters are ready for something, and someone, entirely different.
