NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza warned on his YouTube channel Thursday that Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett running for Senate would likely hand a victory to Republicans.
Crockett said on SiriusXM’s “The Lurie Daniel Favors Show” on Wednesday that she is contemplating launching a campaign for the Senate in the 2026 midterms. Cillizza said on his channel that other Democratic candidates would be stronger general election options against the Republican field.
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“The problem is it’s very difficult for me to see how Crockett would reach out to the middle, particularly in a state like Texas where there just are not enough Democrats. Even if you get all the Democrats to vote for you, you don’t win,” Cillizza said. “So I think this would be a dream scenario for Republicans. Because I think Ken Paxton has a real chance at winning the primary against John Cornyn and Wesley Hunt. And if he does, the best chance Republicans have of keeping that seat is Jasmine Crockett as the Democratic nominee.”
“To me, there’s no question that either Colin Allred or James Talarico, or honestly maybe even Beto O’Rourke, would be a stronger general election candidate against Paxton or Cornyn or Hunt than Jasmine Crockett,” he continued.
Cillizza speculated Crockett would end up choosing not to run, arguing that talk of a campaign could help her fundraise, but polling would show her she had no chance of winning.
“But the possibility will make Democrats nationally nervous,” he said. “I do not think that is the right nominee. And what’s worse for national Democrats, I think it’s very hard to stop Jasmine Crockett [from] winning the Democratic nomination if she does run for the Senate.”
Crockett argued on Wednesday that she could defeat the present field of Democratic primary candidates, citing recent polling.
She leads a hypothetical Senate primary field with 31% of the vote among likely Democratic primary voters, according to an October University of Houston-Texas Southern University poll.
State Rep. James Talarico and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke both garnered 25% support in the poll. Former Rep. Colin Allred, who launched a failed run against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, drew just 13% support.
O’Rourke has not reached his decision whether he would enter the race and has hinted that he would support Crockett’s candidacy if she runs.
Moreover, a July National Republican Senatorial Committee poll first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation in July found Crockett with a dominating lead if she were to join the Democratic primary. She obtained 35% of the vote, with her closest opponent, Allred, garnering only 20%.
“I think the key to winning Texas isn’t about looking at the current electorate. It’s about expanding the electorate,” Crockett said on Wednesday. “If we can expand the electorate, then I will strongly be considering hopping in the Senate race.”
Crockett has become notorious for her racially-charged tirades and inflammatory attacks on Republicans. For instance, she sparked controversy in March for referring to Republican Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Governor Hot Wheels.”
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