Republican Texas Senate candidate Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) wasted no time responding to Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s (D-TX) late entry into the 2026 Senate race, immediately challenging her to a debate he said would be “must-see TV.”
Hunt, who is running in a high-profile Republican primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Attorney General Ken Paxton, told Fox News that Crockett’s far-left worldview stands in stark contrast to the values he believes Texans hold.
“Jasmine Crockett and I see two different Americas,” Hunt said.
“She defines this country by victimhood.
“I define it by hard work, grit, and determination.”
According to sources close to Hunt’s campaign, Crockett approached him on Capitol Hill to discuss a potential debate, marking the first conversation the two have ever had.
Hunt welcomed the challenge.
“A Hunt vs. Crockett debate is must-see TV, and I welcome it,” he added.
A Historic First at Stake But Starkly Different Messages
If either Hunt or Crockett were to win the seat, it would mark the first time a black American has been elected statewide in Texas history.
Hunt noted that while he recognizes the significance, he refuses to let identity politics define his campaign.
“I’m the great-great-grandson of a slave,” Hunt said.
“Our family story is one of going from a plantation to West Point, combat, and the United States Congress.
“That’s the story of American progress.
“I’m proud to be black, but I’m prouder to be an American, and a native Texan.
“I’m far more focused on being a father, a husband, a veteran, a servant leader, and a citizen than my skin color.”
Crockett, a progressive firebrand with a large following on social media, is betting that her online influence and national profile can energize Democrats in what remains a reliably red state.
Her district covers a significant portion of the Dallas metro area, giving her a very different political base than previous Democrat Senate contenders.
Influencer Politics Meets Texas Reality
Both Hunt and Crockett rose to prominence partly through their aggressive social media strategies.
Hunt’s team said he has amassed more than 4.1 million followers across platforms including X, Instagram, and Truth Social.
Crockett, meanwhile, has 2.5 million Instagram followers and roughly 500,000 on X.
Their influencer-driven rise helped secure their House seats, but a statewide Senate race is a far steeper climb, especially for Democrats hoping to flip a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide since the 1990s.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who chairs the NRSC, said Crockett’s candidacy speaks volumes about where national Democrats have shifted.
“I think it says something about who the Democrats are nationally, not just in Texas,” Scott said.
“What it says is that they’ve been overrun by this radical left agenda that focuses on rhetoric, not reality.”
The Road Ahead
Texas Republicans expect a competitive primary between Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt.
Crockett, meanwhile, faces an uphill battle simply to make the race competitive in November.
Election Day for the Texas primary is March 3, 2026, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Whether Crockett accepts Hunt’s debate challenge remains to be seen, but the matchup is already shaping up as one of the most closely watched contests of the cycle.
READ MORE – Jasmine Crockett: ‘Law Enforcement Isn’t to Prevent Crime’
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