Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is pushing back aggressively against critics on the left who say she has no path to victory in a statewide Senate race in deep-red Texas.
During a recent appearance on the "At Our Table" podcast, hosted by former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison, Crockett was pressed about a wave of public skepticism from liberal media figures and party insiders, according to Fox News.
Harrison referenced a now-viral segment from comedian Bowen Yang and podcaster Matt Rogers, noting, "Theres a viral podcast clip from Bowen Yang, a comedian, and Matt Rogers, a podcaster, and they question your prospects and even discourage people from contributing to you."
He went on to underscore the growing chorus of doubt, adding, "And youve heard the phrase, She cant win in Texas, that youre already defined, and now were hearing it from folks who have these major platforms. Even, we heard from Stephen A. Smith, who had critiques about you. Tell me what do you think when you hear those things?"
Crockett framed the criticism not as concern over her potential defeat, but as anxiety over the possibility that she might actually prevail. "Yeah, people are afraid. And its not afraid of me losing. They are afraid of me winning, actually. Thats what I hear. What disappoints me is when I hear things from the left, I expect to hear certain things from the right, right? So thats fine," she responded, suggesting that attacks from progressives sting more than the usual partisan crossfire.
Yang and Rogers had earlier urged listeners not to "waste" money on Crocketts Senate bid, blasting politicians who make their campaigns "too obviously about themselves," and Rogers flatly declared there was no chance she could win in Texas. After facing backlash from their own audience, both men walked back their remarks and issued apologies, a reminder of how quickly progressive influencers can pivot once their base pushes back.
The skepticism is not without historical context: Texas has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsens re-election in 1988, a reality that underscores the states conservative trajectory and the uphill climb for any Democrat.
Even so, Crockett brushed aside the online narrative about her odds and hinted that some of the loudest voices might not be organic.
"I will also tell you that, you know, the internet is not a real place. And you should oftentimes ask yourself, is somebody paying for this? If so, who do we think may be paying for it? That kind of stuff," she said, implying that moneyed interests could be amplifying doubt about her candidacy.
She insisted her strength lies in grassroots support, saying she has "a lot of small donors" and emphasizing that she has "won every election" she has ever entered because of ordinary voters rather than elite backing.
Crockett also signaled she is already bracing for attempts to delegitimize her if she does manage to win in a state that twice backed President Trump.
"Were already preparing for the rhetoric once were done, right? I win, theyll say, 'Oh, well, yeah. She won on a fluke. She won because of a wave.' It wont be because I actually got out and worked and am now running on maybe a total of eight to 10 hours of sleep over the last weekend. It wont be because I worked, it wont because me and my team were focused on Texans," she said, casting herself as a workhorse candidate battling both Republicans and skeptical Democrats.
Her own partys establishment appears unconvinced that such a candidate can carry a general election in a state that has consistently favored conservative policies and Republican leadership.
"She might win a primary, but she ain't winning a general in Texas," one senior House Democrat told Axios in December, while another warned, "It's concerning for [swing] districts... I think it's a bad decision."
Crockett now faces state Rep. James Talarico, D-Texas, in the Democratic primary, a contest that will test whether the partys base wants a progressive firebrand in a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide in decades.
For conservatives, the intraparty friction and public hand-wringing among Democrats only reinforce the perception that their bench in Texas remains out of step with the states voters, even as they attempt to unseat a Republican incumbent in one of the nations most reliably red strongholds.
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