Political analyst Mark Halperin has voiced strong doubts about Representative Jasmine Crockett’s chances of winning a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, citing the state’s long history of electing Republicans statewide. Crockett, a Democrat, has declared her candidacy for the seat currently held by Republican Senator John Cornyn.
Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, has announced that she is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Senator John Cornyn.
Her bid comes in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than 25 years, a trend often cited by analysts when assessing Democratic prospects in Texas.
Mark Halperin, a political commentator, discussed Crockett’s campaign during an appearance on the “AfterParty” podcast hosted by Emily Jashinsky, according to the Daily Wire. In a clip highlighted by the outlet, he argued that her odds of breaking the Republican streak are extremely low.
“Emily, a Democrat has not won a statewide office in Texas for over a quarter century. And if you’re asking me if Jasmine Crockett will be the Democrat who breaks that streak, the answer is no,” Halperin said.
Halperin added that while it was “certainly possible” Crockett could prevail in a Democratic primary, he believed her nomination would be welcomed by Republicans. “Maybe she’ll be the nominee, and if she is, the Republicans will rejoice because any of the three Republicans in the Republican primary can beat her, almost certainly,” he said.
He went on to argue that the kind of Democrat often described as capable of ending what he characterized as a roughly three-decade losing streak for the party in Texas does not match Crockett’s profile.
According to the Daily Wire’s account, Crockett’s Senate pitch so far closely tracks her approach in the U.S. House, where she has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and his policies. Analysts note that such a posture, while resonant with many Democratic voters, may face headwinds in a state that has generally favored Republicans in recent statewide and federal elections.
The exchange underscores the structural obstacles Democrats continue to face in Texas as the primary season approaches, and highlights questions about what kind of candidate the party would need to seriously compete for a statewide seat.