Senator Jasmine Crockett?

Senator Jasmine Crockett?

Way back when Texas republicans decided to follow California in gerrymandering out the opposition party from its congressional delegation, I warned of the possibility of a Senator Jasmine Crockett. No one took me seriously. To recap, the Texas gerrymander was aimed at getting rid of Crockett and Al (Full of Fire) Green – who hates Trump and was evicted from the State of the Union address. Well Crockett announced that she was running for the Senate. The right wing press laughed having branded her as a loud (and often foul) mouth kook. Well who is laughing now?

The republican senate primary has become increasingly ugly with Texas attorney general Ken Paxton and congressman Wesley Hunt challenging the incumbent John Cornyn. Both Paxton and Cornyn are in a virtual tie in the polls but Hunt is within striking distance causing both Paxton and Cornyn to release attack ads on Hunt. Meanwhile, they are spending $100 million attacking each other viciously as well. Cornyn attacked Paxton as a “crooked home wrecker” in accusing him of sleeping with a married mom-of-seven. It also claims that Paxton’s net worth has grown by as much as 7,000 percent since he took office.

Just like in several other races, if Paxton wins the primary, he is projected to lose the general election, where Crockett awaits. Crockett is leading her opponent Texas State Rep. James Talarico in the democrat primary by double digits. The polls show that Paxton would lose to either democrat while Cronyn would likely beat either. Paxton is scandal ridden and only draws his strength from being a super MAGA. Cronyn is more moderate while Hunt is somewhere in the middle.

I know that there are many on the right who are totally stupefied that a Jasmine Crockett could be elected a senator in a state where no democrat has won since 1988. Trump openly hates Crockett and has called her every name in the book. Crockett uses Trump’s distain in her campaign running against 

Trump rather than against her primary opponent. Crockett is not hesitant to match Trump’s insults calling him “Tamu Hitler” and doing her best to tie him to Epstein insinuating that he is a pedophile and saying “We have a 34-count convicted felon and there are people that are still shielding him from any time of accountability as it relates to a child sex-trafficking ring.” When Trump called her “a low IQ person” Crockett shot back “For you to be in charge of the WHOLE country, you sure do have my name in your mouth a lot. Every time you say my name, you’re reminding the world that you’re terrified of smart, bold Black women telling the truth and holding you accountable. So keep talking…”

Crockett who likes to position herself as one of the people went to toney Rhodes College in Memphis and has a law degree from the University of Houston and who has over a million followers on social media has used that to her advantage. She has said “I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities — are now outraged. Keep that same energy for all people, not just your political adversaries. Finally, this is yet another distraction. Instead of obsessing over and hanging on to my every word, maybe my political foes should focus on doing the work of the people who elected us to improve their lives.”

In her senate race she emphasizes that “I’m up with Latino voters and young people, independents favor me by a double-digit margin, and I am the preferred candidate of working-class voters This is who we need to rebuild our winning democratic coalition.” By the way, 71 percent of Texas democrats view Crockett favorably while none of the republicans have approvals of over 50 percent.

Cornyn is clearly the establishment republican choice with ad support from

the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that hammer Paxton highlighting his messy ongoing divorce and accusations of corruption and calling Paxton a “wife-cheater and fraud.” But Paxton remains the MAGA favorite even though Trump has not endorsed anyone yet. In response Paxton says “It’ll be grassroots, just like it always has been, and we’ll be out trying to compete. Obviously, Cornyn has got a lot of money, D.C. money. I don’t have that money. We’ll have our money from Texas.” But the NRSC said “John Cornyn is the only

Republican candidate who reliably wins a general election matchup,” and warned “Paxton puts this seat at risk.”

Hunt says the got in the race because he feared that Paxton would beat Cornyn and lose in the general election.

Crockett is focusing her campaign on affordability. “The first thing that we could do on day one is to rein in the tariffs. I’m really excited to say that last week, the House started a process, and we got enough votes from the Republican side to start to rein in some of those tariffs. We still have a lot more work to do.” She also said “But I think that in this unique moment, at this inflection point, people want to know, are you real or not? And I think that that is what they get from me.” 

Wouldn’t it be the height of irony that in an effort to get Crockett out of the House that she lands in the Senate? Regardless of who finally wins the republican primary, there is a really possibility that the next senator from Texas may be Jasmine Crockett.