In a frank BET interview, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) made a bold claim that reframes the national narrative about her home state:

“I do think that Texas is blue. We are just voter-suppressed.”

The congresswoman, who represents Texas’s 30th Congressional District, connected the dots between voter suppression, political apathy, and the illusion of a red stronghold.

“We have voter apathy, as well as other random tricks that they pull that keep us from accessing the ballot box.”

Crockett pointed to Georgia as a clear example of what’s possible when participation increases.

“When they were able to increase the voter registration and participation to the extent that they were closer to 80% participation, they were able to do what they needed to do,” she told BET. 

“In the state of Texas, when Beto [O’Rourke] ran, he only lost by three percentage points. But the voter turnout in the state was only 17%. Just imagine if we turned out at rates like 20, 25%, we absolutely would be able to win.”

Recent polling data shows Crockett leading as the favorite among Democratic voters' preferences for winning the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterms. 

Though she hasn’t ruled out a Senate or gubernatorial run, Crockett emphasized that it isn’t about ambition. It’s about service. 

“If I potentially give the state of Texas and ultimately the country, the best chance at a pickup, then it’s something that I would have to seriously consider because that’s what a public servant does.”

Amid growing threats to democracy, including court rulings that have gutted the Voting Rights Act, Crockett sees a crisis not just of politics, but of morality.

“I honestly don’t think that this is about politics at this point. I honestly don’t think that this is partisan. I think that we are in a moral fight, and there’s a lack of moral courage as well as a lack of a moral compass for certain people.”

She cited repeated attacks on civil rights infrastructure:

“They want to consistently violate people’s civil rights. We know that they have slashed the funding for the civil rights divisions. We know that these police departments that were under memorandums of understanding; the DOJ is like, ‘whatever’ on that. We also know that after the rolling back of Shelby v. Holder, they consistently are wiping away portions of the Voting Rights Act.”

Faith In Action

As calls grow louder for faith leaders to take a stand, Crockett believes the Black church has a critical role to play in the modern struggle.

“This is a good point for the Black church to reemerge as the leaders in this civil rights movement. These are our most trusted messengers. I just want to make sure that our Black churches understand exactly what’s happening so that they can then communicate out and hopefully mobilize people to support people that support them.”

Still, she knows the cost of truth-telling, especially in an era of partisan backlash and online vitriol. What keeps her grounded, she says, is the people.

“That is what grounds me and says, you know what? I can go back in for another round. I can do this. This is truly where God wants me in this moment.”

Her faith plays a key role in navigating doubt and burnout.

“I spend a lot of time talking to my pastor,” Crockett shared. “He is reminding me that I’m still just a person. And so I need to make sure that I’m doing the best to take care of myself, which I’m currently not.”

The Future for Democrats

Crockett also responded to former President Obama’s recent comment that Democrats need to “toughen up.”

“I think he’s absolutely right,” she said candidly.

“We [Democrats] are so cerebral and we are still just focused on policy. But there should be an ‘and.’ And we should be fighting, and we should be really good messengers. When we get pushed in the face, it’s time to punch back. At the end of the day, we are in a fight, and you’ve got to punch when you’re in a fight, right?”

Her approach has won the attention, respect, and popularity on the internet, particularly when she swings verbal jabs right back at conservatives. In the past, many Democrats were expected  to take the high road.

“People don’t get that there’s a level of respect that comes with fighting, even when the policies aren’t necessarily completely aligned. They don’t think that somebody’s pulling my strings. They think that the only people that have the ability to pull on me at all are the people themselves.”

She added: “If we all take this stance of stop seeking the perfect politician… but instead look for the politician that is going to center people—even if they get it wrong—that’s okay. They are trying their best to get it right because they really believe that it’s the right thing to do by the people.”

When asked if she would ever run for governor, Crockett didn’t completely rule it out. 

“I can’t rule it out for sure,” she told BET. “If we can see a glimmer of hope, that would be great—to get our state back on track and get us back to the point that we’re not just leading the nation in idiocy, but we’re leading the nation in a very responsible and respected way.”

In the end, Crockett made it clear she wanted to focus on the current task at hand, telling the truth: “Texas is actually blue. When people vote, Texas votes.”