Jasmine Crockett

Jasmine Crockett

Jasmine Crockett (born March 29, 1981) is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 100th district. Elected in July 2020, she assumed office in January 2021.

She is the member-elect for the Texas's 30th congressional district, having been first elected in the 2022 U.S. House election.

Early life and education

Jasmine Crockett was born in St. Louis. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Rhodes College. As an undergraduate, Crockett planned to become an anesthesiologist or Certified Public Accountant before deciding to attend law school. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.

Career

After law school, Crockett remained in Texas and worked as a civil rights attorney. Crockett worked as a public defender for Bowie County, Texas before establishing her own law firm. During the George Floyd protests, Crockett and her associates took on the pro bono cases of several Black Lives Matter activists.

'No Cuts' protest

The Dallas AFL-CIO and its retirees set up a public protest in a downtown park on February 15 2025. The theme was “No Cuts.” A long list of union and political messages came in response.

Hobie Hukill, a teacher and Dallas AFL-CIO Executive Board member, was the emcee. Staffer Carmen Ayala brought a solidarity message from Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Other speakers came from the National American Federation of Government Employees, AFGE members who work at Environmental Protection, AFGE members from the VA hospital, AFGE members who work in the Department of Education, Steelworker leaders, Communications Workers leaders, Transport Workers leaders, retiree leaders, Postal Workers leaders, and the Political Director for the Dallas AFL-CIO. City Councilpersons Carolyn King Arnold and Paul Ridley were recognized. Everybody had their own enlargement of the theme “No Cuts!”

Some 200 enthusiastic union members and supporters chanted “No Cuts. No Cuts. No Ifs or And or Buts!” Some of them stayed at the curb on Commerce street and elicited loud auto honking from passersby. Everybody received a leaflet with a QR code encouraging them to join the national AFL-CIO’s answer to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the Department of People Who Work for a Living.

Florida emergency ad hoc hearing

WASHINGTON DC — June 22, 2023, Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) hosted an emergency ad hoc hearing to uncover the anti-democratic abuses of power happening in Florida as Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have colluded to consolidate power and enact legislation stripping Floridians of their civil rights and liberties.

Frost, who originally called for a full Oversight Committee hearing alongside Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, was joined today by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Dean of the Florida Democratic Delegation Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Katie Porter (CA-47), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), and Dan Goldman (NY-10).

Members heard directly from witnesses, including State Representative Anna Eskamani, former State Attorney Andrew Warren, and former Duval County substitute teacher Brian Covey – who all depicted a picture of state leadership hungry for power and entrenched in modern day fascism and authoritarianism.

“In Florida, the Governor and Republican legislature are banning books, threatening teachers and taking over universities, rewarding political cronies, and illegally punishing enemies. These shocking anti-democratic moves, all aimed to consolidate power, cannot go unchecked,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “This is modern day fascism, plain and simple. Today's emergency ad hoc hearing was about fighting back before fascism can fully take hold of our state.”

“What we see in Florida is the type of cancer that we’ve seen growing across America in terms of these anti-democratic efforts to undermine freedom while we’re standing on the side of freedom,” said Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“We know that fascism and anti-semitism are on the rise in this country, especially in Florida. And we also know that one of the chief perpetrators of hateful fascist rhetoric and policies is our governor, Ron DeSantis,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “Fascism is the antithesis of democracy. Making sure we take every opportunity to be able to shine a spotlight on the extremism, fascism, and squelching of rights and freedoms in our state perpetrated by our governor is so critical.”

“What is happening in Florida cuts to the core of our democracy,” said Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez. “Every day Floridians are exercising their right to a democracy. They have voted overwhelmingly and organized at the ballot box to institute minimum wage. And Ron DeSantis tries to preempt and overturn minimum wage. Floridians tried to come together in order to get housing costs under control. And what does Governor DeSantis and the Republican party of Florida do? Overturn it. What Governor DeSantis is doing is overriding the will of Floridians.”

“When it comes to democracy and freedom, the Sunshine State is now covered in darkness. One-party rule is destroying the right to vote and participate in government, the freedom to read, the freedom to learn about history, and the right to make decisions about your own body and your own life. Even the Disney Corporation is not safe from the autocratic dictates of the Royal Governor,” said Oversight Ranking Member Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8). “The only silver lining to this state-level nightmare is that a new generation of freedom-fighters has emerged, none of them more passionate or focused than the youngest Member of the U.S. House, my esteemed colleague from Florida, Maxwell Frost. I am grateful to him for calling this important meeting and for our witnesses and attendees for participating in an urgent dialogue.”

Resolution condemning socialism

Fedrary 2, 2023 House Republicans moved a Resolution condemning socialism and certain dictators.

The Resolution began:

Whereas socialist ideology necessitates a concentration of power that has time and time again collapsed into Communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships;

Whereas socialism has repeatedly led to famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide;

Whereas many of the greatest crimes in history were committed by socialist ideologues, including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, and Nicolás Maduro;

Eighty six Democrats voted no. Forteen voted "present" and six didn't vote.

Representative Jasmine Crockett voted "Present".

"China Initiative" letter

On January 22, 2024, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) led an effort to stop House GOP members from reinstating the China Initiative, a Trump-era program created in 2018 that purported to combat espionage but in effect targeted and profiled those of Chinese descent.

The Department of Justice ended the program in 2022, after several of the alleged espionage and national security cases ended in acquittal, dismissal or were dropped altogether. But Republicans in Congress are now attempting to restart the program using a provision in a key House spending bill—at the same time that they are reviving racially motivated rhetoric against Chinese Americans.

“Republicans are essentially pushing the Chinese Exclusion Act 2.0,” said Rep. Meng, First Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“The Trump-era China Initiative fostered bigotry and discrimination against Asian Americans, particularly those with connections to China, while doing little to actually advance national security interests,” said Senator Hirono, Executive Board Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“The Trump-era China Initiative undermined our nation’s scientific innovation and global partnerships while perpetuating the ‘forever foreigner’ stereotype and ruining the careers and lives of the innocent scholars targeted for investigations solely because of their Chinese ancestry,” said Rep. Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Other signatories included Senators Tammy Duckworth, Peter Welch, and Congressmembers Jake Auchincloss, Ami Bera, Andre Carson, Greg Casar, Kathy Castor, Jasmine Crockett, Lloyd Doggett, Adriano Espaillat, Bill Foster, Valerie Foushee, Chuy Garcia, Robert Garcia, Dan Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Pramila Jayapal, Andy Kim, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Barbara Lee, Ted Lieu, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, Kevin Mullin, Jerry Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sanchez, Adam Schiff, Tom Suozzi, Mark Takano, Jill Tokuda, Lauren Underwood.

No to China committee

Sixty-five Democrats in the House of Representatives voted on Tuesday January 10, 2022, against creating a committee to investigate China and find ways to counter the communist country’s growing international influence.

The House overwhelmingly voted to create the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party on a 365 to 65 margin, in one of the first votes since the Republicans took control of the chamber.

However, even though some members did not vote, all 65 lawmakers who voted against the committee’s creation were Democrats, including Jasmine Crockett.

2022 CPC new members

During an event at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C., Pramila Jayapal said that 15 of the 18 candidates the CPC's political arm had won their elections as of Sunday, with another win potentially on the way.

“There’s no question this will be the most progressive Democratic Caucus in decades,” Jayapal said, adding that they will have over 100 members in the 118th Congress compared to their current membership of 99.

By the numbers: Jayapal was joined at the press conference by nearly a dozen incoming members.

They were: Morgan McGarvey (Ky.), Summer Lee (Pa.), Robert Garcia (Calif.), Shri Thanedar (Mich.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.) Jasmine Crockett (Texas), Jill Tokuda (Hawaii), Delia Ramirez (Ill.), Greg Casar (Texas), Becca Balint (Vt.) and Jonathan Jackson (Ill.).

Texas House of Representatives

Jasmine Crockett, a criminal defense attorney and former chair of the Bowie County Democratic Party, was first elected to the seat representing House District 100 last year after defeating Rep. Lorraine Birabil (D-Dallas) in the Democratic runoff by 90 votes.

Birabil had won a special election in January 2020 to fill the vacancy left by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson when he became mayor. She occupied the seat for a matter of months before Crockett ousted her.

Crockett would go on to win the district unopposed in the general election.

She was the third most liberal member of the Texas House during the regular session of the 87th legislature, outranked only by Reps. Ana-Maria Ramos (D-Richardson) and Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton).

Crockett was one of the Texas House members who broke quorum by fleeing Austin during both the regular and special sessions in an attempt to prevent the passage of the Election Integrity Protection Act.

Before the second quorum bust, she referred to supporters of the proposed law as “terrorists” in a speech in front of the state Capitol on Father’s Day.

After many Democrats rejoined their Republican colleagues in the Texas House during the second called session, Crockett was among the Democrats who criticized members of their own party for giving the GOP the quorum it needed to pass the elections bill.

Texas Progressive Caucus foundation

It was no coincidence the Texas Progressive Caucus formed days after a string of Democrats suddenly returned to Austin to restore quorum in the House.

Although a press release announcing its formation made no mention of quorum, its founding members remained in Washington, frustrated by the end of the month and a half impasse they believed had finally put Democrats in a position of strength over the governor and Senate Republicans.

In reality, talks of forming the caucus had started weeks earlier but quorum convinced founding members to act quickly in creating a new left flank for Democrats in the state House.

Progressive Caucus Chair Ron Reynolds, a Missouri City attorney who has served in the House since 2011, said the idea was to create a platform for members to shake things up and speak freely, including about the quorum break and special session.

“For me, it just didn’t make sense,” Reynolds said of fellow Democrats returning to Austin without negotiating anything, which he called a case of failed leadership.

“To see the floor proceedings, it just pained me to see that we were really irrelevant,” Reynolds said. “The only thing they wanted us for was to make quorum so they could get their business done.”

To form the caucus Reynolds approached Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, an impassioned civil rights lawyer who finished her first term in the state House this year.

Crockett told the Signal the Progressive Caucus would offer an alternative voice to the Texas House Democratic Caucus, the official caucus of state House Democrats. It would push bolder messaging, she said, because the House Democratic Caucus needed to accommodate all of its lawmakers in both safe and unsafe districts.

“The HDC technically has been the voice of all Democrats, so to speak, but I didn’t really feel the HDC was speaking for me,” Crockett said of forming the caucus.

“I needed people to know that there were what I considered to be stronger voices that maybe you’re not hearing from because it’s coming through the filter of HDC,” Crockett said. “They’re putting out messages that will work for all the elected Democrats, which some of them are only there by the skin of their teeth and some are solidly there.”

Collective PAC

The Collective PAC endorsed Jasmine Crockett in 2022.

TARA ties

Jasmine Crockett with Gene Lantz, Judy Bryant, Kenneth Williams, Tom Berry, Eddie Morgan, Suzie Duarte, Jan McDowell, Charlotte Connelly, Lou Luckhardt and Cathy Glendening.

Socialist sisters

Liz Campos, Penny Shaw, Jasmine Crockett, Claudia Ordaz Perez and Ann Johnson.

Texas Progressive Caucus members

In August 2021 State Rep. Ron Reynolds (D–Missouri City), chairman of the Texas Progressive Caucus.

Other members of the caucus include Democrat State Reps. Jasmine Crockett (Dallas), Ana-Maria Ramos (Richardson), Penny Morales Shaw (Houston), Claudia Ordaz Perez (El Paso), Philip Cortez (San Antonio), Trey Martinez Fischer (San Antonio), Gina Hinojosa (Austin), Diego Bernal (San Antonio), Sheryl Cole (Austin), Christina Morales (Houston), Joe Deshotel (Beaumont), Carl Sherman, Sr. (DeSoto), Shawn Thierry (Houston), Jessica Gonzalez (Dallas), Celia Israel (Austin), Ray Lopez (San Antonio), Eddie Rodriguez (Austin), Ramon Romero; Jr. (Ft. Worth), and Rafael Anchia (Dallas).

2022 congressional campaign

Incumbent U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas's 30th congressional district announced she would not seek re-election in 2022 on November 20, 2021. Four days later, Crockett declared her campaign for the seat. Johnson simultaneously announced that she was backing Crockett.

TOP endorsement

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the electoral showings of congressional candidates Jessica Cisneros (TX-28), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), and Greg Casar (TX-35) in the Texas Democratic Primary:

“On Tuesday, Democratic voters across the state made clear they are hungry for people-powered change and progressive leadership in the halls of Congress. We saw this as clear as ever in congressional districts 28, 30, and 35 – races where TOP endorsed.

“We congratulate Greg Casar on his resounding primary win, as well as Jessica Cisneros and Jasmine Crockett for their impressive election performances that have them one step closer to championing bold policies at the federal level to uplift Black and Latino families.

“This progressive wave in Texas didn’t just happen overnight; it’s been years in the making. Coordinating with strategic statewide partners, TOP has worked over the last decade to organize Black and Latino communities in Texas with the goal of transforming our state into a place where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve.

“These results for Cisneros, Crockett, and Casar further show that this vision is being manifested in real time, with working-class communities of color leading the way.”

Eric Mata, TOP board president, added:

“The results of these congressional primaries prove that young progressive leaders are taking charge, and that they are ready to fully represent the interests of working-class Black and Latino Texans.

“Jessica Cisneros, Jasmine Crockett, Greg Casar will be powerful change-makers once elected to Congress, and TOP is prepared to kick our voter outreach efforts into an even higher gear to ensure all three make it there.”

TOP/WFP endorsement

WFP Facebook Live

Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Jessica Mason.

"Show Texas Some Love"

With Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar. Featuring Cristela Alonso.

Working Families Party

Greg Casar, Delia Ramirez, Maxwell Frost, Summer Lee, Becca Balint, Jasmine Crockett.

Our Revolution endorsement 2022

Our Revolution endorsed Jasmine Crockett in 2022.

Our Revolution - North Texas

Our Revolution - Oak Cliff

Our Revolution - Oak Cliff endorsed Jasmine Crockett in 2020.

She was also a member of the group's Facebook page.

DSA socialist support

Kristi Lara supports Jasmine Crockett and Greg Casar.

Palomares connection

Karla Palomares, Jasmine Crockett May 2022.

Dallas Peoples Online Forum

February 23, 2022.

Moderated by Hosanna Yerimu and Maria Yolisma Garcia.

Jasmine Crockett, Jesse Moreno, Chris Leal, Ramiro Luna-Hinojosa.

Texas progressives

Status of the Texas Progressive Movement with Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Rep. Penny Morales Shaw.

12pm — Panel on how to run for office with progressive champions Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Grande Prairie city councilman Junior Ezeonu, and former El Paso mayoral candidate Veronica Carbajal. Cohosted by former Arlington city council candidate Diana Saleh.

1pm — Panel on transforming the party and creating a Texas Progressive Caucus with SDEC Committeeman Dylan Forbis, DNC member Andre Treiber, Taylor County Chair Elizabeth Smyser, former Bernie Texas co-chair Farrukh Shamsi, and Treasurer Mike Floyd.

2pm — Panel on winning progressive policies locally and what progressives can do once in city council with Killeen Councilman Ken Wilkerson, San Antonio Councilwoman Teri Castillo, Judge Te'iva Bell, and El Paso County Commissioner David Stout. Cohosted by former Justice of the Peace candidate FJ Jones.

Working with Penny Shaw

Voting rights rally