CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – August 19: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) takes the stage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party’s nomination for president at the DNC.
The Kamala Harris-Tim Walz presidential campaign has secured representation from North Texas, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, announcing on Wednesday night that she has been named the campaign's national co-chair.
Crockett, renowned for her spirited clashes with Republicans on the internet, is gearing up for a busy fall travel schedule as she rallies support nationwide for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Crockett has been representing Texas' 30th district, which predominantly encompasses Dallas, since taking office in January 2023, succeeding retiring Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.
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In March 2022, as then State Representative Crockett campaigned for Johnson’s seat, Eddie Bernice Johnson joined Crockett at a polling place to explain why she had recruited Crockett. She said she never imagined running for Congress during her first term in the Texas House.
Crockett says she has started accumulating frequent flyer miles for the campaign, making direct flights from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to Michigan, where she visited several cities. She also shared that she has been to Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania for the campaign and was on the verge of catching a flight to Los Angeles to headline fundraisers.
Serving as a national co-chair does not typically involve participating in the daily nuts and bolts of running a campaign. Rather, it identifies trusted surrogates who can speak on the candidate’s behalf and attack an opponent.
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Crockett joins another Texas Democrat on the list of Harris-Walz co-chairs, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Escobar carried over that role from the Biden-Harris campaign and served as the closing night co-chair of last week’s national convention.
Crockett, 43, has emerged as one of President Joe Biden's most staunch defenders following his less-than-stellar performance in the June debate with former President Donald Trump. After facing mounting pressure and ultimately stepping down as the nominee, Crockett swiftly shifted her support to Harris's candidacy.
She was selected for a high-profile speaking slot at last week's convention, delivering a speech that mixed heartfelt support for Harris with sharp criticisms of Trump. She tugged at the audience's heartstrings as she shared her doubts about her decision to pursue a career in Washington just after joining Congress last year.
“As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ … She saw the distress. I immediately began crying,” Crockett said. “The most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened.”
Crockett had a viral May showdown with U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
The House Oversight Committee is deliberating whether to declare U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to release audio recordings of Biden's discussions with special counsel Robert Hur.
The viral moment started when Greene told Crockett, “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”
Democrats objected, but the panel’s Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, ruled Greene did not violate rules against personal attacks.
Crockett posed a question to Comer:
“If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach-blond, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?” she said in an obvious reference to Greene.
The moment sparked an online frenzy, featuring a series of parody songs that cleverly used Crockett's coined "B6" alliteration. Her campaign applied to trademark the six-word phrase. She began raising campaign funds by selling branded merchandise featuring the phrase as part of a “Crockett Clapback Collection.”
Crockett served a single term in the Texas House, covering parts of southern, East, and West Dallas. Upon the announcement of the late former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's retirement, she endorsed Crockett as her successor.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
