AT A GLANCE
- Jasmine Crockett officially files for the Texas Democratic Senate primary.
- Colin Allred drops out of the Senate race and pivots to run for the newly redrawn TX-33.
- James Talarico responds with a populist, grassroots-centered statement as he remains Crockett’s sole primary democratic opponent.
- GOP field remains a three-way slugfest between Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt.
“Y’all Ain’t Never Tried It The JC Way”: Jasmine Crockett Launches Campaign For Texas Democratic Senate Primary
Rep. Jasmine Crockett officially jumped into the Texas Democratic Senate primary Monday afternoon, filing her paperwork just hours before a packed campaign announcement event and before the state’s 6 p.m. filing deadline. Her entry cements a dramatic new matchup for the March 3 primary.
Her entrance into the race came just hours after Democratic former Rep. Colin Allred announced he was ending his Senate campaign and would instead run to reclaim a House seat.
CNN previously reported that Crockett had asked Allred to bow out, and she has referenced internal polling in private conversations showing her in a strong position. Allred launched his Senate bid in July, hoping to build on name recognition from his 2024 challenge against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.
Rather than trigger what he called a “bruising” Democratic primary and runoff, Allred will now run in the newly redrawn 33rd District, which is entirely within Dallas County.
The Democratic field now centers on Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, whose unusually strong fundraising launch stunned operatives and brought national attention. Talarico raised $6.2 million in just three weeks, setting a new early-cycle record for a Texas Senate challenger.
Talarico released a statement positioning himself as the grassroots candidate in the race. “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.
“Our movement is rooted in unity over division — so we welcome Congresswoman Crockett into this race.” Talarico said.
Some party insiders had been nervous about a three-way heavyweight primary that could splinter donors, volunteers, and momentum. Allred’s exit, combined with Crockett’s entrance, instantly reshapes that landscape.
In a statement announcing his pivot back to the House, Allred said Democrats needed “unity against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers Paxton, Cornyn, or Hunt.”
Crockett had repeatedly said she would only run if her internal data showed she could actually flip the seat in November. She told CBS last month she planned to share her polling with both Allred and Talarico because “this isn’t about me… if the numbers are strong that I am our best shot, then it’s bigger than my district. It’s bigger than the state of Texas.”
Crockett also used her Dallas event to pitch her vision for a statewide movement. “Turning Texas blue is what I want to talk to y’all about today,” she told the crowd. “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.”
Her message underscored her belief that Democrats can only win by expanding the electorate with first-time and infrequent voters, not by relying on the same coalition that has fallen short for three decades.
