A new report suggests the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spent months working behind the scenes to push Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett into Texas’s 2026 Senate race—because Republicans believe she is the easiest Democrat to defeat.
According to reporting from NOTUS’s Reese Gorman, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm has been strategically maneuvering to shape the Democratic primary field. “Republicans’ Senate campaign arm has actively worked behind the scenes to encourage Rep. Jasmine Crockett to jump into the Senate Democratic primary in Texas, believing she will be the easiest opponent to beat,” Gorman wrote.
In contrast, Republicans reportedly viewed the two Democrats already in the race—Colin Allred and James Talarico—as far more “formidable” opponents. Crockett, known nationally for her inflammatory rhetoric and controversies, did not prompt the same concern within GOP circles.
NOTUS reported that the NRSC included Crockett’s name in a July poll, which showed her leading the hypothetical Democratic field. A source familiar with the strategy revealed: “When we saw the results, we were like, ‘OK, we got to disseminate this far and wide.’”
Crucially, the source said Crockett’s inclusion in that poll “was no accident.”
In June, news broke that Allred, Talarico, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and Rep. Joaquin Castro met to discuss the 2026 Senate landscape. Republican operatives noticed two things: Crockett was not invited, and she had been left out of every credible poll to that point. Seeing an opportunity, GOP strategists moved to change that.
Once the NRSC inserted Crockett into its own polling—and amplified those results—other pollsters followed suit. Soon, multiple surveys showed Crockett “surging” in the primary. According to the report, Republicans are openly taking credit for shaping that narrative.
The NRSC then worked aggressively to boost Crockett’s perceived momentum. A GOP source told NOTUS they helped “orchestrate the pile on of these polling numbers to really drive that news cycle and that narrative that Jasmine Crockett was surging in Texas.”
The apparent strategy is straightforward: elevate the Democratic candidate Republicans believe is the weakest, making a GOP victory more likely in November. Given Crockett’s long history of controversial statements, public missteps, and internal Democratic criticism, many Republicans—including party strategist Karl Rove—say she would be the most vulnerable nominee in a general election.
Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican seeking reelection and the likely GOP nominee, has also expressed satisfaction with Crockett’s entrance into the race. If she wins the Democratic primary, Cornyn could face her in the general election.
The maneuvering appears to have had real consequences. Allred dropped out of the race earlier this week. Talarico, however, has said he will stay in and challenge Crockett for the nomination.
The report highlights a quietly executed but effective GOP strategy: use polling and media amplification to elevate the least electable Democrat. Whether that strategy succeeds will depend on whether Democratic voters ultimately rally behind Crockett—or realize Republicans are hoping they do.
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