Jasmine Crockett Ditches Safe House For Longshot Senate Run

Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett filed to run for U.S. Senate on Monday, shaking up the crowded race to unseat Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn.

Crockett, a left-wing firebrand who is one of President Donald Trump’s loudest critics in Congress, is expected to announce her candidacy in an event touted as a “special announcement” later on Monday. Crockett’s entry into the race comes after several months of teasing a Senate run during which she repeatedly stated she would launch a bid if polling showed a path to victory.

Crockett’s paperwork filing was immediately preceded by Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred suspending his campaign on Monday morning. Crockett and Allred are both black Dallas-based Democrats who would have likely competed for the same minority coalition of voters to capture the party’s nomination.

Allred’s exit to run for a Dallas-area House seat will give Crockett an easier path to the nomination, though she will still have to overcome a primary challenge from Texas state legislator James Talarico, who is widely regarded as a Democratic rising star.

Crockett called Talarico and Allred to discuss internal polling last week, the Dallas Morning News first reported.

“The numbers say what I’ve said publicly: they say I can win,” Crockett told the outlet.

Crockett has not publicly released her internal polling nor shared it with any news outlet.