Jasmine Crockett uses Trump insults as video kickoff for her Texas Senator campaign

Today Jasmine Crockett, a congresswoman from Texas, announced that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat currently occupied by John Cornyn, who is up for re-election in November 2026.

I loved the video Crockett released. She is silent in it. All the talking is done by Donald Trump.

Crockett is exactly the sort of candidate Democrats need in the 2026 midterm election. Young. Brash. Aggressive. Blunt. Creative. Fresh. Bright. Competent.

She has a law degree. Whenever I hear her talk, she comes across as a no-B.S. defender of our democracy against the travesties being committed by Trump. Today I got an email from her that, naturally, requested money to support her Senate campaign.

Leaving that aside, Crockett’s email said:

Y’all, it’s Jasmine.

I’m reaching out with big news, and I wanted you to hear it from me first: I’m officially running for the United States Senate here in Texas.

Let me be clear: With our current wannabe dictator in the White House, I’m not launching this campaign to play nice. I’m doing it to fight — because Texas deserves someone who doesn’t back down when the bullies come for her. It deserves someone who fights back.

But to win this race, we’ll have to take on Donald Trump, the Texas Republican political machine, and all of their shady special interest donors. And to be blunt, that won’t come cheap.

…Let me be clear: When there’s a fight worth having, I don’t flinch. I don’t shrink. I don’t back down.

Just ask the communities I’ve fought for as a civil-rights attorney, the defendants I’ve represented as a public defender, and the people of Dallas that I serve in Congress. I’m a lifelong fighter for justice.

So Donald Trump can run his mouth all he wants. All his attacks show is that he’s terrified of what I represent — and what I’m bringing to the Senate when we win this race: truth, accountability, and a future where power answers to the people.

Right on, Jasmine. I like your style.

I’m fed up with Democrats who play it safe in a misguided attempt to appeal to moderates. We live in a polarized political climate. The stakes are too high to straddle the fence between MAGA and opposing Trump with unbridled energy. Zohran Mamdani became Mayor of New York City by being who he truly is: a Democratic Socialist who wants to make his city livable and affordable for the vast majority of citizens, not just those with lots of money.

Sure, Crockett faces an uphill battle given the difficulty Democrats have winning statewide races in Texas. But at the least, Jasmine Crockett is going to bring an amazing amount of energy and enthusiasm to both her primary and general election campaign, should she win the Democratic primary.

It’s looking like Ken Paxton is going to be the Republican nominee rather than Cornyn. Given all the political baggage and extreme right-wing views Paxton would bring to a Senate race, Crockett has a decent shot of winning. A Politico story says:

Crockett, a two-term representative from Dallas, will challenge state Rep. James Talarico, a rising star within the Democratic Party. Despite polling suggesting an uphill battle, Democrats feel optimistic about winning statewide in Texas for the first time in decades by harnessing the same backlash to President Donald Trump that fueled their successful off-cycle elections last month. In 2018, the party caught a glimmer of hope when Beto O’Rourke came within 2 points of defeating Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in a blue wave.

…Some Texas Democrats said they believe Crockett brings a shot of enthusiasm – and her assertiveness is what the Democratic electorate is clamoring for. “We need some out loud, bold progressives, and that’s what people like about her,” said Allison Campolo, chairwoman of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. “She doesn’t shy away from anything. She doesn’t run to the middle.”

…The biggest question facing Crockett is whether she’ll be able to translate her popularity in Dallas statewide, said Joel Montfort, a Texas-based Democratic strategist.

“I appreciate her scrappiness and abilities to go toe to toe with her detractors. She is quick witted and quite the firebrand,” he said. “Her key challenge will be getting the other urban and suburban voters in other cities to appreciate what she brings to the party.”