House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declared Wednesday he is “absolutely delighted” that Representative Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has entered the race for Texas’s U.S. Senate seat, calling her a “left-wing firebrand” who will become “the face of the Democratic Party.”
Speaking at the Capitol, Johnson stated he believes Crockett’s campaign represents “one of the greatest things that’s happened to the Republican Party in a long, long time.” He added: “She is the face of the Democratic Party, she and Mamdani. Good luck with that,” referring to New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Johnson also expressed his hope Crockett would have “the largest, loudest microphone” in the Senate, noting they “look forward to having that election down there.” He predicted a Republican victory in Texas’s 2026 Senate race, where current Senator John Cornyn faces challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Republicans. Crockett will compete against state representative James Talarico in the primary.
Crockett has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump for more than a year, often drawing the president’s ire. Her campaign leveraged this rivalry with a launch video featuring audio clips of Trump attacking her and labeling her as having a “low IQ.”
Johnson concluded: “We are going to elect another Republican senator in Texas. Texas is a red state. The people of Texas are commonsense Americans, and what Jasmine is trying to sell will not be purchased by the folks of Texas. That is my prediction.”
