JUST IN: ‘Squad’ Democrat Files To Run For Higher Office

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett has officially jumped into Texas’ bruising race for the U.S. Senate, setting up a crowded Democratic primary aimed at unseating longtime Sen. John Cornyn.

Crockett, a high-profile Democrat who represents a southern slice of the Dallas area, filed paperwork Monday to run just hours before the deadline to enter the 2026 midterm primary, FOX 4 political reporter Steven Dial confirmed.

The outspoken progressive joins a field that already includes familiar Democratic names, including state Rep. James Talarico and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke. Statewide polling shows Crockett leading that primary pack, while separate polling shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton holding a narrow edge over Cornyn on the Republican side.

Crockett had previously left the door open to the run.

During a Fox News interview in mid-October, she said she would decide after court rulings on new congressional maps and further polling analysis. That calculation shifted after the Supreme Court recently paused a lower court ruling that had struck down the maps, clearing the way for changes that tilt Crockett’s House district toward a Republican nominee in the next cycle.

Her late entrance into the Senate race quickly reshaped the Democratic field.

Austin, Texas, United States – July 25th, 2025 – Jasmine Crockett Speaks at Powered by the People Democratic Political Rally

Colin Allred bowed out of the crowded contest earlier Monday, ending his second straight bid for the upper chamber as Democrats braced for a last-minute shakeup ahead of the filing deadline.

Allred, who represented North Texas in the House, announced he was exiting amid speculation that Crockett was preparing to jump in.

“l’ve come to believe that a bruising Senate Democratic primary and runoff would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers [Attorney General Ken Paxton, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, or Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas],” Allred said in a statement.

“That’s why l’ve made the difficult decision to end my campaign for the U.S. Senate.”

Instead, Allred said he will seek a return to the House by running in Texas’ newly redrawn 33rd Congressional District, which is now based more heavily in Dallas County after shedding parts of Tarrant County. The seat is currently held by Rep. Marc Veasey under the old map, though Veasey has not announced his plans for 2026.

Allred is expected to face a competitive intraparty fight against Rep. Julie Johnson, a fellow Democrat who is switching districts to run for the revamped 33rd, adding yet another layer of turbulence to an already unsettled Texas primary season.

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