SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A last-minute shakeup has occurred in the Texas race for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
On Monday, U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett from Dallas announced she is running for Senate.<\/p>\n
Crockett, a Democrat, is vying to take the seat of long-time Republican incumbent John Cornyn.<\/p>\n
Her announcement comes the same day fellow Dallas Democrat U.S. Rep. Colin Allred dropped out of the Senate race.<\/p>\n
The primary matchups are now set.<\/p>\n
On the Republican side, Cornyn faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Congressman Wesley Hunt from Houston.<\/p>\n
On the Democratic side, Crockett will compete against State Rep. James Talarico of Austin.<\/p>\n
Election Day for the primary is March 3.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to know about the candidates:<\/p>\n
Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican<\/p>\n
Cornyn is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state. He was first elected to the Senate in 2002.<\/p>\n
He is facing what many are calling the toughest GOP primary of his career.<\/p>\n
In March, KSAT sat down with Cornyn<\/a> for a wide-ranging interview that included questions about a then-potential face-off against Paxton. Watch Cornyn\u2019s interview with KSAT above.<\/p>\n Cornyn said, in part, \u201cThere\u2019s a reason why I\u2019ve been elected by large margins every time I\u2019ve run for office. And that\u2019s because the 31 million people in Texas know me … I do my best to be responsive to their needs … elections are all about competition. I\u2019m not particularly concerned about that. If the time comes that this gentleman or anybody else decides to run, we\u2019ll be ready for that and we\u2019ll take our case to the voters.\u201d<\/p>\n Paxton officially entered the race for U.S. Senate in April.<\/p>\n Attorney General Ken Paxton, a RepublicanFILE – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay, File) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)<\/p>\n When Paxton announced his run for U.S. Senate<\/a>, he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that it was \u201ctime for a change in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n Paxton has been clear about his disapproval of Cornyn. During an interview with Punchbowl News<\/a> in March, the state attorney general spoke out against the incumbent senator.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s had his chance. He hasn\u2019t performed well, and the voters know it,\u201d Paxton said during his interview with Punchbowl News.<\/p>\n Paxton has also fired<\/a> off several social media posts<\/a> questioning Cornyn\u2019s conservative credentials and loyalty<\/a> to President Donald Trump. Cornyn has responded<\/a> in a few cases.<\/p>\n Paxton has been shadowed for much of his career by legal and personal issues.<\/a> Yet Paxton is popular with Trump\u2019s most ardent supporters.<\/p>\n >> Meet the candidates vying to be Texas attorney general in the post-Paxton era<\/a><\/p>\n Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a DemocratFILE – Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, questions the witnesses during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing on “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud” on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr., file) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n Crockett launched a campaign<\/a> Nov. 8 for the U.S. Senate in Texas, bringing a national profile to a race that may be critical to Democrats\u2019 long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n Crockett, one of Congress\u2019 most outspoken Democrats and a frequent target of GOP attacks, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. <\/p>\n She faces a primary against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.<\/p>\n Crockett could test Democratic voters\u2019 appetite for a blunt communicator who is eager to take on Republicans as Democrats pursue their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.<\/p>\n Crockett, a civil rights attorney serving her second House term, built her national profile with a candid style and viral moments on Capitol Hill. Trump has noticed and called her a \u201clow IQ person.\u201d In response, Crockett said she would agree to take an IQ test against the president.<\/p>\n State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat<\/p>\n Talerico launched his campaign in September<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before Talarico entered politics, he was teaching sixth-grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School on San Antonio\u2019s West Side \u2014 an experience he says continues to shape his views as he campaigns for a seat in the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n