Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s newly announced Senate bid is already exposing sharp divisions within her party.
Crockett’s announcement came just hours after former Democratic Texas Rep. Colin Allred suspended his campaign to unseat Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Monday, saying he wanted to avoid a divisive primary that could weaken the eventual Democratic nominee. (RELATED: Failed Democrat Candidate Calls It Quits Hours Before Jasmine Crockett Makes Senate Announcement)
Crockett’s decision is creating further waves, as Allred announced he will instead run in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 33rd Congressional District. The move deepened divisions, and several Democrats are rallying behind Democrat Texas Rep. Julie Johnson, who represents the 32nd District but is seeking the 33rd after her district was redrawn in the latest redistricting.
I’m proud to share that I’ve been endorsed by @emilyslist for # TX33!
This endorsement matters — because women should never be treated as placeholders for men who fail to advance. Women deserve to have a real voice, based on our own values, our own work, and our own record.
At…
— Julie Johnson for Congress (@juliejohnsonTX) December 8, 2025
Johnson also took a pointed shot at Allred, stating that the new district deserves a representative who is “present,” not someone who parachutes “back when another campaign doesn’t work out.”
Meanwhile, Crockett’s move has reignited discussions among Democrats about their chances of reclaiming a Senate majority in the 2026 midterms, while also sparking debate over what it means for party members to oppose her candidacy.
Aaron Regunberg, director of the Public Citizen’s Climate Accountability Project and a former Democratic Rhode Island state representative, also predicted Crockett’s defeat. He argued that Crockett is the result of not prioritizing “substance.”
“Just wanna be clear, for when the corporate centrists try to blame her loss on us — Jasmine Crockett isn’t of the left. She’s not an economic populist. She’s what you get when you refuse to prioritize substance. She’s a symptom of your political and governance model,” Regunberg wrote in a post on X.
Crockett acknowledged that she could not rely on Republican voters crossing party lines to support her candidacy, according to a CBS News report.
She likened her strategy to that of former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump’s campaigns, where they reportedly targeted individuals “that historically did not vote.” (RELATED: Charlamagne Thinks Jasmine Crockett Is Democrats’ ‘Most Effective Messenger’)
The Texas congresswoman further noted that the only path to victory for a Democrat in Texas is to expand the electorate.
“If the electorate remains the same electorate that we’ve had over the last 30 years, then I think we’re going to end up with the same result,” she said.
Democratic Texas State Sen. Karthik Soora also pushed back on the notion that opposition to Crockett is rooted in racism or sexism, arguing that criticism of her stems from her past comments — not her identity as a minority woman.
“Jasmine Crockett can say 1. Latinos who voted for Trump (who we need to win!) have a ‘slave mentality.’ 2. Black men who married white women are trying to ‘whitewash themselves.’ But if you disagree with those remarks being helpful to winning Texas, you are a racist? Nah,” Soora said in a post on X.
Jasmine Crockett can say
1. Latinos who voted for Trump (who we need to win!) have a “slave mentality.”
2. Black men who married white women are trying to “whitewash themselves.”
But if you disagree with those remarks being helpful to winning Texas, you are a racist?
Nah. https://t.co/skMo4spOYJ
— Karthik (@KarthikForTexas) December 8, 2025
Armand Domalewski, co-host of the “Everybody Gets Pie” podcast, further pushed back on claims that Democratic opposition to Crockett is racially motivated.
“[T]his immune-system response the Democratic Party has to scream ‘racist’ whenever anyone ever criticizes a Black politician really needs to stop. I’ve worked to elect many Black women to office — opposing one doesn’t make me a racist.” (RELATED: Jasmine Crockett Ditches Safe House For Longshot Senate Run)
In the Democratic primary, Crockett will go up against Democrat Texas State Rep. James Talarico, whose campaign has attracted national attention and raised a record-breaking $6.2 million within the first three weeks of launching, according to a Texas Tribune report.
