Jasmine Crockett's Chaotic Candidate Filing Ends North Texas Political Era

The Democratic Strategy for the 2026 Midterm Elections

In the days leading up to her Senate campaign launch, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett made a push to create a slate of Democratic candidates who would run alongside her in the 2026 midterm elections. This effort was part of a broader strategy among Democrats to field their strongest candidates in races across the ballot, especially in statewide contests like governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller. The goal was to increase their chances of breaking through in a competitive political landscape.

Crockett's challenge was convincing fellow Democrats to put aside their existing campaigns as the deadline to file for the March 3 primaries approached. However, her efforts ultimately failed.

"We were almost there," Crockett said after her campaign kickoff speech. "That’s all I can say." She acknowledged the difficulty of the negotiations and the impact of the final hours of the filing period on various elected leaders.

Crockett is currently running in a high-profile primary Senate race against state Rep. James Talarico of Austin. Her decision to enter the race late in the game has been seen as a dramatic move that has reshaped the political dynamics in Texas.

A Chaotic Filing Period

"You're trying to be spicy," she said when asked about her efforts to build a candidate slate. The drama surrounding the filing deadline had significant implications for the 2026 midterm elections, as Democrats aim to gain power from Republicans both nationally and within Texas.

The situation was particularly intense in North Texas, where the Republicans' mid-decade redrawing of congressional boundaries led to several key decisions by Crockett and other Democrats. The fallout included:

• Colin Allred, a former U.S. Rep., dropped out of the Democratic Senate race to run in Dallas County-anchored Congressional District 33. This set up a clash with U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, who had already filed for the district.
• Marc Veasey, a U.S. Rep. from Fort Worth, decided not to run for reelection in District 30, which Crockett is leaving due to her Senate bid. Veasey had represented District 33 since 2013, and his departure marks the loss of a veteran lawmaker with seniority. Republicans redrew the district to remove his Tarrant County base.
• Veasey initially planned to run in District 30, which includes a swath of Tarrant County. He changed his mind after Frederick Haynes III, Crockett’s pastor, filed for the seat. Veasey is now running for Tarrant County judge against Republican Tim O’Hare, but he must first win a primary against Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who filed her candidacy days earlier.

Crockett and Talarico are central figures in Texas Democratic politics. One of them will lose the Senate primary, meaning the party won’t have its best lineup for the general election, which could provide opportunities to boost the entire ticket.

Previous Attempts at a Statewide Slate

Crockett wasn’t the first Democrat to attempt to build a statewide slate. In May, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Colin Allred, and James Talarico met to discuss forming a statewide ticket. However, the effort collapsed because all wanted to run for Senate. As it turned out, Talarico was the only one from that meeting who ran statewide.

At various points, Talarico and Allred resisted running for governor or any other non-Senate post. O’Rourke focused on organizing volunteers and mobilizing voters, while Castro waited until the deadline to file for reelection. He was considering a run for either attorney general or lieutenant governor.

The current Democratic slate for statewide races includes:

• Governor: Gina Hinojosa, Andrew White, and Chris Bell.
• Lieutenant Governor: Vikki Goodwin, Courtney Head, and Marcos Velez.
• Attorney General: Nathan Johnson, Joe Jaworski, and Tony Box.

Democrats hope the nominees from these races will be able to raise money and connect with voters, but it's clear this won't be the slate many had envisioned.

Lessons from the Past

Strong slates can be critical. In 2018, O’Rourke lost a Senate race to Republican Ted Cruz by 2.6 percentage points. Cruz benefited from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s voter turnout efforts. Abbott was running for reelection against Lupe Valdez, whose campaign struggled to raise money and gain traction.

Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, with strong campaign accounts, will be on the ballot again in November, giving other Republican candidates an advantage. However, there are opportunities for Democrats to turn the chaotic filing period into political success.

Either Crockett or Talarico could generate enthusiasm that drives the party’s base voters to the polls. Winning the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn would send shockwaves in Texas and across the nation. Cornyn is running for reelection in a GOP primary that includes Ken Paxton and Wesley Hunt.

Veasey may worry about losing the congressional game created by Republicans, but he could still make an impact by defeating O’Hare and flipping Tarrant County’s top elected office blue. Some Democrats had wanted Veasey to run against O’Hare from the start.

While Republicans are favored in their strongholds and statewide, the midterm elections offer Democrats a chance to turn a painful filing period and lingering hard feelings into political success.

There’s also a lesson for O’Rourke, Talarico, Allred, and Castro, who tried to hammer out a slate in private. The next time they meet, they should invite Crockett.