On Monday afternoon, Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett from Texas’s 30th District officially announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 Democratic primary.

Rumors had been circulating about Crockett’s potential run, and the path became clearer with former Representative Collin Allred’s Monday morning announcement that he was withdrawing from the Senate race to pursue a return to the House. However, Crockett is set to compete in the March primary against State Representative James Talarico.

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the U.S. Senate in Texas, bringing a national profile to a race that may be critical to Democrats’ long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.

Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats and a frequent target of GOP attacks, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. She is seeking the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.

Speculation has been swirling that the Texas representative would throw her hat into the race, and with former Rep. Collin Allred announcing Monday morning that he was exiting the Senate race to attempt a House comeback, it became evident the way was being cleared for Crockett. She’ll still have to face off in the primary in March against State Rep. James Talarico. 

“It’s going to be a sprint from now until the primary, but in Texas you have to think about the voter base overall in November, too,” said Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant who has worked for Allred before and worked on other campaigns in Texas. “Who can do the work on the ground? After the primary, who can win in the general?”