Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is beginning to campaign more aggressively for the U.S. Senate, leaning into rhetoric criticized as disingenuous during a weekend appearance in Houston.
Speaking to a crowd on Saturday, Crockett framed her candidacy as a collective struggle and rejected what she described as efforts to portray certain communities as outsiders.
“This is about us. It is about reclaiming who we are,” Crockett said. “They want to try to act like we are the outsiders, but the last time I checked, we ain’t no colonizers.”
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— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) January 19, 2026
"The last time I checked we ain’t no colonizers… they took us from our homeland."
"I know y’all know I’m about this life" pic.twitter.com/vYIpPYzmdA
Crockett’s background differs from the persona she often presents onstage and in front of cameras. She graduated from the Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, a private K–12 institution in Missouri, before earning her undergraduate degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She later received her law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston. She moved to Texas as an adult before launching her political career.
She went on to reference the transatlantic slave trade and the legacy of racial injustice in the United States, arguing that promises of equal opportunity have gone unfulfilled for many Americans.
“The last time I checked, they took us from our homelands,” Crockett said. “But this is the only home that we know, and they have sold us a promise, a promise of America that meant that we would all have an opportunity, but right now a lot of people’s dreams are being dashed. They are telling us that we are ‘less than.’ I am here to tell you that we are ‘more than.’ Especially when we stand together.”
Crockett shared the stage with entertainer Tyrese Gibson, whom she described as a personal friend. She emphasized the importance of public figures showing up during what she characterized as a critical moment.
The congresswoman also engaged the audience directly, calling out neighborhoods and encouraging crowd participation, drawing enthusiastic responses from attendees.
She faces a competitive Democratic primary, with recent polling suggesting a tight race as Election Day approaches.
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