Ex-House Democrat drops out of Texas Senate race as Jasmine Crockett candidacy rumors swirl

Former Texas Rep. Colin Allred has withdrawn from the 2026 Senate race to avoid what he calls "a bruising primary" that could hurt Democrats' chances against Republican candidates. The announcement comes as progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett is expected to launch her own Senate bid Monday afternoon.

Allred, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by eight points in 2024, will instead run for Congress in the newly redrawn 33rd District, where he faces a primary against Rep. Julie Johnson. The Texas Senate race will pit the eventual Democratic nominee against a competitive GOP primary featuring incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Crockett, a second-term congresswoman known for her confrontational style and progressive politics, has become a Democratic Party rising star despite facing criticism for comparing Trump to Hitler and making controversial statements about Republicans. The race comes after the Supreme Court upheld Texas Republicans' congressional redistricting that creates five more right-leaning House districts, threatening several Democratic incumbents' seats.