Rep. Jasmine Crockett decided to run for the U.S. Senate in Texas on Monday, and things aren’t going well. She had an embarrassing launch featuring a joke of a campaign video, and then, despite her high profile, a stunning lack of endorsements from Senate Democrats. Well, things just got worse.
According to a report from Axios, a whole bunch of her House colleagues are privately seething, convinced she’s about to blow what could be their best shot at flipping a statewide seat in Texas in decades.
“She might win a primary, but she ain’t winning a general in Texas,” one senior House Democrat said, speaking anonymously so he or she could be blunt. A second lawmaker echoed the anxiety, calling Crockett’s decision “concerning” for swing districts and “a bad decision” overall. A fourth member put it this way: “There’s a lot of concern she won’t win. If you have Paxton in there, particularly, it seems like a good target. I hope Texas picks someone that can get us a seat.”
Democrats have set their sights on flipping Texas, and every election we’re treated to stories about how this Democrat or another could win the U.S. Senate. Heck, last year, polls claimed Trump’s lead in Texas over Kamala was a mere five points. That didn’t happen; he won by 14 points, but Democrats still see 2026 as a golden opportunity to win statewide in Texas for the first time in a generation.
Or they did. Before Crockett got in the race.
For sure, the situation in 2026 is probably the best environment for the Democrats in the Lone Star State. Sen. John Cornyn is facing a brutal primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Democrats think Paxton represents their best shot. But even with Paxton as the opponent, many House Democrats don’t believe Crockett can seal the deal. “Even if it’s Paxton on the [GOP] ticket, [Crockett] doesn’t give us a shot of winning the Senate, or at least doesn’t put us in the game,” a fifth member said.
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Adding fuel to the fire is the recent report that Senate Republicans secretly engineered her Senate campaign. “Everybody’s talking about that,” a third House Democrat said, describing the chatter around the idea that Republicans see her as the weaker general election candidate. The same lawmaker acknowledged that “the base loves” Crockett, but questioned whether she can broaden her appeal. “People just feel that there isn’t a lot of reach there.”
You think?
It seems that no one but Crockett believes she can win. Well, one person does.
“I’ve got a six-word response,” Rep. Al Green said. “I believe that she can win.”
Green is far from a reliable source.
The grumbling from skeptical House Democrats boils down to a belief that Crockett is putting her own ambitions ahead of the party’s best interests. They’re clearly worried about protecting Democrats who represent competitive districts, such as Rep. Henry Cuellar. In short, Crockett’s candidacy is bound to have a ripple effect on all races in the state next year. She thinks she can boost turnout from the base, Democrats in Congress think she’s going to drive swing voters to the GOP.
But hey, at least Al Green thinks she can win.
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