Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett announces US Senate bid in Texas, tells Trump 'I'm coming for you'

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the U.S. Senate in Texas, telling President Donald Trump, “I'm coming for you," and bringing a national profile to what could be a critical race for Democrats’ long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.

Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats, a frequent target of GOP attacks and a Trump target, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. She is seeking the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.

“As a candidate who is constantly attacked and seen as a threat, it's because I am,” Crockett told supporters in Dallas. “I'm the only one who has gone toe to toe with Donald Trump, and there's a reason he's always got my name in his mouth.”

Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to wrest control from Republicans next November, when most of the seats up for reelection are in states like Texas that President Donald Trump won last year. Democrats have long hoped to make Texas more competitive after decades of Republican dominance. Cornyn, first elected to the Senate since 2002, is facing the toughest GOP primary of his career against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Crockett’s announcement came hours after former Rep. Colin Allred ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid. She faces a March 3 primary against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher with a rising national profile fueled by viral social media posts challenging Republican policies such as private school vouchers and requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

“It’s going to be a sprint from now until the primary, but in Texas you have to think about the voter base overall in November, too,” said Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant who has worked for Allred before and worked on other campaigns in Texas. “Who can do the work on the ground? After the primary, who can win in the general?"

Talarico raised almost $6.3 million in the three weeks after he formally organized his primary campaign committee in September and had nearly $5 million in cash on hand at the end of the month, campaign finance reports showed. Crockett raised about $2.7 million for her House campaign fund from July through September and ended September with $4.6 million.

Crockett could test Democratic voters’ appetite for a blunt communicator who is eager to take on Republicans as Democrats pursue their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.

Republicans were quick Monday to try to turn Crockett's penchant for public clashes with opponents into liabilities. Paxton called her “Crazy Crockett."

Cornyn told reporters at the U.S. Capitol he was eager for the chance to face her.

“I think that would be a lot of fun,” he said. “She just says such inflammatory and crazy things.”

Talarico welcomed Crockett to the Democratic primary but pointed to his fundraising and said he has 10,000 volunteers.

“Our movement is rooted in unity over division,” he said in a statement.

Democrats see their best opportunity to pick up the Texas seat if Paxton wins the Republican nomination because he has been shadowed for much of his career by legal and personal issues. Yet Paxton is popular with Trump’s most ardent supporters.

Hunt, who has served two terms representing a Houston-area district, defied GOP leaders by entering the GOP race.

Crockett told her cheering crowd in Dallas to “tune out” those who say she can’t win in the GOP-dominated state because she is Black, a woman or a Democrat.

Ahead of her 43-minute speech, Crockett's campaign played a video of her with audio of Trump criticizing her playing over it, mocking the idea that she's represents the Democratic Party's future. Trump has called her a “low IQ person.” In response, Crockett said she would agree to take an IQ test against the president.

Crockett addressed the president directly several times.

“You better get to work because I'm coming for you,” she said. “I'm not going away. I'm not giving up.”

Crockett is a civil rights attorney and a former public defender and once the youngest Black Democratic county chair in Texas. She served in the Texas House before winning the first of her two terms in Congress in 2000.

She's built her national profile with a candid style and viral moments on Capitol Hill. Crockett traded insults with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who announced last month that she would resign in January, and had heated exchanges with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

She also mocked Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who uses a wheelchair — as “Gov. Hot Wheels.” She later said she was referring to Abbott’s policy of using “planes, trains and automobiles” to send thousands of immigrants in Texas illegally to Democratic-led cities.

Democrats' best showing in a statewide race in the past three decades was in 2018, when former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke came within 3 points of ousting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. It was the midterm election of Trump’s first administration, and Democrats believe next year’s race could be similarly favorable to their party.

A former professional football player and civil rights attorney, Allred was among Democrats’ star recruits in 2018.

Allred lost to Cruz by 8.5 points last year. He is running for the House in a Dallas-Fort Worth area district under a new map approved this year by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature to meet Trump's call for more winnable Republican seats. The district has some areas Allred represented for six years before his run for the Senate in 2024.

An internal party battle, Allred said, “would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers.”

Marshall said Crockett is a “solid national figure” who has a large social media following and is a frequent presence on cable news. That could be an advantage with Democratic primary voters, Marshall said, but not necessarily afterward.

Talarico, meanwhile, must raise money and build name recognition to make the leap from the Texas House of Representatives to a strong statewide candidacy, Marshall said.

A winning Democratic candidate in Texas, Marshall said, would have to energize Black voters, mainly in metro Houston and Dallas, win the kind of diverse suburbs and exurbs like those Allred once represented in Congress, and get enough rural votes, especially among Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s about building complicated coalitions in a big state," Marshall said.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to supporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to supporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to supporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The New York Mets do not have plans to meet with Pete Alonso this week at the winter meetings.

The five-time All-Star first baseman, who turned 31 on Sunday, lives about two hours away from the hotel for the meetings in Florida. He is a free agent for the second straight offseason.

“I think Pete knows us really well. I think we know Pete really well,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday, adding that Alonso will “take the time here to perhaps meet with organizations he doesn’t know quite as well.”

Alonso was drafted by New York and spent his first seven seasons with the Mets. After a slow free agent market last winter, he signed a $54 million, two-year contract.

He opted out of the final year of the deal after hitting a career-high .272 with 38 homers, 126 RBIs and an .871 OPS in 162 games.

“As a manager, his ability to post every day ... you don’t have to worry about who’s playing first base or who’s hitting in the middle of your lineup,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I think he knows how much we want him, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Mendoza said he's had intermittent contact with Alonso this offseason. Mendoza remains hopeful they can keep Alonso in Queens.

Stearns stuck to his no-public-negotiations script when pressed on where things stand, but he detailed where he thinks the slugger belongs with the market.

“Pete has demonstrated that he’s one of the best offensive players in baseball, and he’s performed at a high level for us,” Stearns said. “That would be a priority for any team. It certainly is for us.”

Beyond Alonso, Stearns said the team is prioritizing run prevention.

The bullpen upgrades are not finished — even after the Mets' deal with Devin Williams — and Stearns said they are looking at both free agency and the trade market for help. They also want to add a starting pitcher, though Stearns expressed confidence that the organization's young arms could play a significant role. Kodai Senga’s strong offseason progress was a major positive for Stearns.

The Mets also are looking for a replacement for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who was traded to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien. Their fallback position would be Jeff McNeil in left field to start the season.

The disappointing 2025 season for the Mets had Mendoza defending himself and the organization on Monday.

On his podcast last month, former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino blasted the organization’s handling of its pitching staff, accusing Mendoza of mismanaging the bullpen, failing to communicate effectively with injured players and not doing enough to protect arms. The Mets used a record 46 pitchers this season due to injuries and performance issues.

Mendoza declined to engage in a back-and-forth with Ottavino, but he defended the organization. Despite the injuries, Mendoza said he thinks the club “was probably one of the teams that protected the bullpen guys better than anybody,” even with limited length from the rotation.

Mendoza also pushed back on reports of friction in the clubhouse involving shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Juan Soto and McNeil.

“We had a professional clubhouse. Guys respected each other. Guys enjoyed being around each other,” Mendoza said. “We just didn’t play well in the field, and that translated into whatever people call vibe, team chemistry. But at the end of the day, guys showed up, and they respected each other.”

Stearns admitted that clubhouse could look different in 2026. While he would not rule out another big move this offseason, the Mets are looking for more balance this winter.

“I think we’re probably going to make some moves that don’t grab a ton of headlines, that we think are really impactful moves our organization,” Stearns said. “I’d imagine over the course of the offseason, there are also going to be moves that allow you guys to write a lot. And so I think it’s probably a combination of the both, and that’s what we should be doing.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - New York Mets' Pete Alonso returns to the dugout after striking out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sept. 23, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)