Harris County Judge candidate Letitia Plummer introduces Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa talks to supporters at the Eldorado Ballroom in Houston on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett has pledged for months to help Democrats this November by getting involved in lesser-publicized downballot races.
The former U.S. Senate hopeful appears to now be making good on that promise, announcing a slate of endorsements this month, including Letitia Plummer, the Democratic nominee for Harris County judge.
While Crockett doesn’t plan to campaign for the party’s Senate nominee and her former foe, James Talarico, her local endorsements could go a long way in helping him and other statewide candidates generate the kind of mass turnout they’ll need to overcome decades of GOP dominance.
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Crockett’s support could especially help shore up support from a portion of Black voters — a longtime cornerstone of Democrats’ coalition.
An August poll conducted by Texas Southern University found that a majority of Black voters surveyed felt the Democratic Party had at least somewhat taken their support for granted. Michael Adams, a political scientist at TSU, described Crockett’s strategy as a kind of “reverse political coattails” that could help ease some of the tension that’s bubbled in the wake of her primary defeat.
“Some people may call it sour grapes. What she’s suggesting is the opposite,” Adams said. “In Harris County, which is one of the largest reservoirs of Democratic votes, if Jasmine Crockett can increase the turnout of Democrats here, It certainly will help Talarico.”
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Crockett has said she plans to campaign for Plummer, as well as two other Black Democratic county judge candidates, but has yet to outline what that will look like on the ground. She did not respond to a request for comment.
To really turn out voters, Crockett will need to take the same grassroots approach to mobilizing voters that saw her appearing everywhere from churches to inner-city clubs during the primaries, said Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston. Appearing alongside Plummer’s image on mailers and promotional images will only go so far.
Sims said she also expects to see a more concentrated effort from the Talarico campaign to continue its efforts to appeal to Black voters directly. Talarico is expected to appear Sunday at a TSU rally in Houston’s Third Ward.
Democrats have just over a month before early voting begins to try and win as many votes as possible. With no Black candidates running statewide, the community’s trust will hinge on local races, Adams said.
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Texas hasn’t had a Democratic senator since the early ‘90s, and Talarico will need all the support he can get if he hopes to win in November, said Carroll Robinson, an associate professor at TSU and former Houston City Council member.
“For a statewide Democrat, you need strong Black voter turnout and strong Democratic turnout in Harris County,” Robinson said. “Everything is lined up for Talarico — especially now that you put the icing on the cake with Jasmine traveling the state helping Black down-ballot candidates and other local Democrats.”
Harris County accounts for more than 13% of the state’s 18.7 million voters. With 2.6 million registered voters, even small shifts in the county’s turnout can produce measurable results for candidates running in statewide elections.
But the county, which was previously Republican-led, is not a given for Democrats. Republicans have made inroads toward winning back control in recent years, flipping several judicial seats in 2024 and threatening to oust Democratic incumbents.
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee was twice elected Harris County attorney before taking his seat in congress. Swept into office with a 10-point margin in 2020, that gap closed to just over 1% in 2024.
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That shrinking win margin was almost identical in the race for district attorney and several other key races. Kamala Harris, however, took the county with a five-point margin. The difference highlights Democrats’ tendency to skip down-ballot races, Robinson said.
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“There’s a subset of voters who vote for one or two races and leave, while Republican voters will go all the way down the ballot,” he said. “That’s why a lot of us now are trying to say the message has to be floating up and down the ballot. You can’t just come in and vote for the people at the top.”
But Crockett is popular — Adams described her as a “potent” campaigner. Her support for Plummer, coupled with Talarico dedicating $25 million to Black outreach, may prove difficult for Republicans to overcome in November, Sims said.
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“The key to Black turnout though is investment. You really have to work to turn out the vote,” Sims said. “Crockett’s support for Plummer ignites the strong professional Black women audience that will help her raise money and will help generate more energy and support for her.”