Rev. Frederick Haynes Wins Democratic Nomination for Jasmine Crockett’s Congressional Seat
Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a longtime Dallas pastor and the spiritual leader of U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, is now the Democratic nominee to represent Texas’ 30th Congressional District.
Haynes secured the nomination in the Democratic primary with more than 70 percent of the vote, positioning him as the clear frontrunner for the November general election in the heavily Democratic district. If elected, he would succeed Crockett when her term ends on Jan. 3, 2027.
Crockett, who has represented the Dallas-based district since 2023, publicly celebrated Haynes’ victory after the results were announced.
“Let me send mad love to my pastor, Pastor Freddie Haynes, who will be the congressman for Texas 30,” Crockett said during an Instagram Live following Tuesday night’s vote.
Haynes has served as pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church for more than four decades and is widely known in Dallas for blending faith, activism, and social justice advocacy. Throughout his ministry, the 65 year old pastor has focused on issues including racial justice, economic empowerment, and expanding opportunities for historically underserved communities.
During his campaign, Haynes framed his run as a continuation of the political energy Crockett brought to the seat in Washington.
“Jasmine showed us to clap back at injustice, clap back at racism, white supremacy, toxic masculinity,” Haynes said while discussing his candidacy. “And so my thing is, this election is our time rolling to clap back against injustice and clap back against the land of political violence and lying from a pathological liar.”
Haynes said he initially had no plans to run for the seat when Crockett began weighing her political future. As she considered her next steps, the two spoke frequently and prayed together, according to Haynes.
When speculation began to circulate that the pastor might run for the seat himself, Crockett reached out and offered encouragement.
“She gave me some advice because she is, without question, a fighter who has raised the profile of a district that was already gifted the legacy of [former Congresswoman] Eddie Bernice Johnson,” Haynes told NBC DFW. “And so with that national profile that she has brought to the district, she just talked to me about the challenges that come with that, as well as some of the things that she would hope I would look to do in this position.”
Haynes, a Dallas native, graduated from Bishop College before earning a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He also studied at Christ Church at Oxford University in England.
If elected in November, Haynes would join a lineage of Black pastors who have served in Congress, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and former U.S. Reps. Adam Clayton Powell, Floyd Flake, and Emmanuel Cleaver.
Haynes said that tradition reflects a belief among many faith leaders that ministry and public policy should both be guided by a commitment to justice.
“They brought a social justice dimension to their ministry and believed that justice should inform politics,” Haynes said.
Haynes has said his priorities in Congress would include addressing affordability, advancing environmental justice policies, and strengthening educational opportunities for underserved communities.
November Election Ahead
With the Democratic nomination now decided, Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III advances to the November general election, where he is expected to face Everett Jackson or Sholdon Daniels after their May runoff.
However, the chances of either Republican ultimately winning the seat in the November general election remain very slim, as the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.
Texas’ 30th Congressional District is considered one of the most reliably Democratic seats in the state, making Haynes the clear favorite heading into November.
