CONGRESS · COMMENTARY
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) has officially launched her bid for the U.S. Senate, and with that announcement, the stage is set for one of the more unusual and revealing primaries we’re likely to see this cycle.
On paper, her candidacy gives national Democrats something they love: a loud, media-savvy progressive with a growing social media footprint and plenty of viral moments. But this isn’t a Twitter poll, and it’s not a Brooklyn city council race. This is Texas — a state with its own culture, its own political instincts, and a long memory.
From the way Crockett chose to launch her campaign, it’s already clear she may be running a national, online-style campaign in a state that still expects something much simpler:
“What are you going to do for us?”
So far, that answer is hard to find.
A Strange Opening Move in a Tough State
Let’s start with the basics: Crockett isn’t just running in a vacuum. Before she can even think about taking on a Republican in a general election, she has to get through a Democratic primary that already features state Rep. James Talarico — a candidate who’s making his own kind of noise.
Talarico has been sprinting into the race with the kind of rhetoric that plays well in university lounges and progressive podcasts: attacks on “billionaires,” hostility toward Elon Musk (one of Texas’ largest and most influential employers), and calls for aggressive wealth taxation that sound more like a wish list than a workable policy platform.
That’s the backdrop — and yet somehow, Crockett still managed to launch her campaign in a way that raised just as many eyebrows.
Instead of using her announcement to talk about border security, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, veterans, jobs, or any of the issues Texans repeatedly say they care about, she chose a very different theme:
Herself.
Her campaign launch video revolved almost entirely around her personal story, her image, and a clip of President Donald Trump calling her “low IQ.” That moment was treated as the emotional centerpiece of her pitch.
The implied message?
“Trump attacked me, so vote for me.”
In a state Trump carried by nearly 14 points in 2024, that’s a curious strategy.
Running Against Trump… in a State That Voted for Him
If Crockett’s rollout felt familiar, that’s because we’ve seen this script before.
Her message echoes the Kamala Harris style of politics:
- Lead with personal identity
- Highlight attacks from Trump
- Frame the campaign as a moral stand against him
- Hope that’s enough to substitute for a concrete agenda
The problem? That formula has repeatedly struggled outside of deep-blue strongholds.
Texans may have their disagreements, but they generally expect candidates to talk to them about their lives, not their online feuds. The average voter in Lubbock or Tyler or Midland isn’t sitting around waiting to watch Trump highlight reels in a campaign ad. They want answers about the cost of living, property taxes, crime, schools, and what their next Senator is actually going to do.
Crockett’s announcement, as presented, largely sidestepped that.
No clear plan on energy in an energy state.
No clear plan on border policy in a border state.
No clear vision for how she’d represent a diverse, sprawling, politically complex electorate.
What Texans saw instead was a rollout built around personal branding, not public service.
The Primary Problem: Talarico vs. Crockett
Before Crockett can even dream of going up against a Republican nominee, she has to face James Talarico in a Democratic primary that already looks messy.
Talarico has fashioned himself as a kind of Texas-flavored progressive intellectual, railing against “trillionaires,” slamming Elon Musk, and embracing the kind of rhetoric that plays well on MSNBC but lands awkwardly with many Texans who work for the same companies he attacks.
Crockett’s entrance doesn’t simplify this picture. If anything, it makes the field even more chaotic.
Instead of offering a stark contrast, she seems to be bringing more of the same: nationalized talking points, personalized grievance, and a campaign style aimed more at social media applause than real-world persuasion.
The risk for Democrats is obvious:
They could end up with a nominee whose entire message is calibrated for people who don’t live in Texas.
A Launch Event That Missed the Moment
If the launch video raised questions, the announcement event only deepened them.
Rather than presenting a serious, policy-heavy introduction to Texas voters, the event featured a rap performance by Cameron McCloud, whose lyrics included lines like:
“I can’t wrap my head around someone who votes Republican…”
In a state where millions of people do vote Republican — and have for decades — that’s not messaging. That’s mockery.
It didn’t stop there. The performance also tried to shoehorn in an Epstein smear, dragging everything further into the realm of spectacle instead of seriousness.
It’s hard to see how any of that helps a supposed statewide candidate in Texas.
If anything, it suggests the campaign is more interested in going viral than in building a coalition.
Insult Is Not a Strategy
There’s a deeply mistaken assumption at work here:
That if you insult or shame Republican voters enough, they’ll suddenly switch sides.
That’s not how Texas works.
Texans generally don’t respond well to candidates who come across as if they’re sneering at half the state. You can disagree with Republicans. You can debate them. You can try to persuade them. But if your campaign soundtrack literally mocks them for existing, you’re not building bridges — you’re lighting them on fire.
Crockett’s early moves send the message that she is far more comfortable attacking Republicans than understanding them. That may win applause in certain circles, but it won’t win a statewide race.
What’s Missing: A Real Case for Herself
The biggest problem with Crockett’s rollout isn’t what she said.
It’s what she didn’t say.
Where is the serious talk about:
- Border security and immigration policy?
- Energy independence and Texas oil & gas jobs?
- Inflation, wages, and the cost of living?
- Crime and public safety in cities like Dallas and Houston?
- Federal overreach and state sovereignty?
Texans aren’t asking for perfection. They’re asking for someone who knows who they are and what they care about.
So far, Crockett’s pitch looks less like a Texas campaign and more like a national audition for cable news panels.
Her first impression suggests a candidate who is very aware of her own brand, very aware of Trump clips, and very aware of progressive media attention — but not especially aware of what a Texas Senator actually needs to represent.
The Seriousness Question
None of this is to say Crockett can’t grow as a candidate, refine her message, and become more competitive. Campaigns evolve. Mistakes can be corrected. Strategies can shift.
But early impressions matter.
The launch of a statewide campaign is the best opportunity a candidate has to say:
“Here is who I am. Here is what I stand for. Here is why I want this job.”
Instead, Crockett’s opening statement was:
“Here is who insulted me. Here is how mad I am at Trump. Here is a performance mocking Republicans.”
That might get clips.
It doesn’t get votes.
At least not in a state like Texas, where voters still expect a basic level of seriousness from anyone who wants to represent them in the United States Senate.
A Primary That Says a Lot About the Party
Crockett vs. Talarico isn’t just about two personalities. It’s a small window into the state of the Democratic Party in Texas and nationally.
On one side, you have a candidate attacking billionaires and business leaders who employ huge numbers of Texans.
On the other, you have a candidate centering her message around being insulted by Trump and bringing in performers who openly ridicule Republican voters.
What’s missing from both sides is something simple but essential:
A credible, grounded argument for why Texans — not Twitter followers, not activists, not national commentators — should send them to the Senate.
Until someone in that primary steps up and makes that case convincingly, this race will look less like a serious competition for a Senate seat…
…and more like a contest to see who can shout the loudest at Trump and Republicans from a safe distance.
Final Thought
Jasmine Crockett’s entrance into the Texas Senate race was supposed to be her big moment — the unveiling of a serious, statewide campaign.
Instead, it has raised more questions than it answered.
Is she ready for the scale and gravity of a Senate race?
Does she understand the voters she’s asking to represent?
And is she willing to move beyond personal branding and partisan performance to actually talk about Texas?
Right now, the honest answer is: she hasn’t shown it.
In a state as big, proud, and independent as Texas, that’s a major problem — and unless Crockett changes course fast, it may be one her campaign never recovers from.