Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) all but encouraged Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) to enter the race for a Texas Senate seat up for grabs in 2026, predicting she’ll get “pummeled” by whoever manages to secure the Republican nomination.
Crockett, who just entered the House two years ago, has been weighing a last-minute run for a seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The deadline is Monday, and she recently told CNN she’ll make her decision at an event “early that day.”
Should she jump into the race, it would land her in a tough Democratic primary that includes former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost a Senate bid to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2024, and state Rep. James Talarico.
But amid the speculation, Abbott is hoping Crockett enters the race and wins the primary, suggesting on Sunday it would ensure the seat remains in Republican hands and mark the end of her political career.
“Jasmine Crockett about to learn the hard way that most Texans are very different from her district, her base & her values. She’ll be pummeled for her progressive socialist agenda & get crushed by the Republican nominee for Senate. The Texas political cemetery is filled with blow hards like her who have no idea what it’s like to run statewide. Looking forward to watching the circus — and KEEPING the US Senate seat red. On the bright side for her, maybe she’ll end up with a job on The View,” the Texas governor posted on X.
Crockett, whose viral comments and near-constant media presence have made her a well-known name in the House, is betting otherwise, insisting a potential Senate run isn’t unthinkable.
“I’m not crazy. It’s weird that people believe that I could win the races that I won and I’m just like out here willy-nilly. But OK. I am very self-aware, right? Even when I go in to help candidates in other states, I ask them, have you polled for me?” she said.
A poll taken in October had Crockett leading in a hypothetical primary by 6 percentage points over Talarico, and as many as 18 points over Allred.
DEMOCRATS HEAD INTO 2026 WITH WIND IN THEIR SAILS AS REPUBLICANS CAN’T GET OUT THEIR OWN WAY
If she did win out, she could face Cornyn, who is running for reelection, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, or Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX).
A polling average from RealClearPolitics shows a razor-tight Republican primary between those three, with Cornyn holding a 0.3 percentage point lead over Paxton and a nearly 10 point lead over Hunt.
