Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Monday formally launched her bid for a highly sought-after Texas Senate seat, ending months of speculation.
Why it matters: The Democratic primary is now set to be Crockett vs. state lawmaker James Talarico, whose fundraising and faith-first message have turned heads in the party.
- Crockett announced her Senate campaign at an event in Dallas, drawing parallels between her effort and Barack Obama's upstart 2008 presidential campaign.
- Her campaign played a video at the event featuring President Trump repeatedly referring to Crockett as a "low-IQ person."
Driving the news: Her announcement came just hours after Texas Democrat Colin Allred said he was dropping out of the race, opting instead to run for a U.S. House seat.
- Democrats are trying to oust longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in next year's midterms.
The big picture: As she considered a run, Crockett consistently cited polling suggesting she would be a frontrunner in the March 3 primary.
- "Every other day there's a poll that comes out that makes it clear that I can win the primary for the U.S. Senate race in Texas," she said in October.
- The two-term congresswoman has made a name for herself on Capitol Hill through her bruising clashes with Republicans during committee hearings and viral social media moments.
- It's the in-your-face style of politics that Democratic voters are increasingly asking for in primaries.
Between the lines: Texas' redrawn congressional maps leave three Dallas-area House Democrats with just two Democratic-leaning districts to run in.
- The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that Texas is allowed to use its new map —which adds five Republican-leaning seats— for the 2026 midterms.
- Allred said Monday that he would run for the redrawn 33rd congressional district.
