DALLAS — State Rep. Jasmine Crockett pulled away from businesswoman Jane Hope Hamilton to win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. District 30 Congressional seat Tuesday night.
Crockett won with 61% of the vote, with a 20-point lead and about 3,500 more votes than Hamilton.
During a speech to her supporters Tuesday night, Crockett said her numbers in the race looked good.
"I am tired of the excuses, it's time to get to work," Crockett said.
Hamilton hadn't conceded yet, as of 10:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Crockett said at the end of the day, the race was about who was going to do the hard work and care.
"And, honestly, I think that the people saw that my heart is wide-open for the district," Crockett told her supporters. "I'm gonna take care of y'all."
Crockett said her plan now after securing the Democratic nomination is to do listening tours with residents across District 30.
The excitement, anticipation and tension around the U.S. House District 30 race could be felt as candidates and voters headed into the primary runoff election on May 24.
Crockett and Hamilton spent months pleading their cases to voters, in hopes of being elected the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Over time, the efforts and antics of both the congressional candidates’ campaigns became controversial.
Rep. Crockett is a civil rights attorney who has been serving Texas House District 100 Since January 2021. She earned the endorsement of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson soon after the incumbent announced plans for retirement and would no longer be seeking another term leading US House Texas District 30.
Crockett gained support from a variety of politicians, pastors, community and civic leaders early on in her campaign. However, many voters believe the direct endorsement of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson spoke volumes and helped push Crockett’s popularity among District 30 voters. Johnson served 30 years in Congress. She was first voted to represent the District 30 seat in 1992.
Jane Hope Hamilton and her strong credentials were also noticed by voters, early on. Hamilton has served as a community organizer, political strategist, and has performed public policy work for 23 years.
Hamilton also earned endorsements from a variety of local, state, and federal lawmakers, including Congressman Marc Veasey. Hamilton once served as Veasey’s Chief of Staff.
Crockett received 48% of the vote in the nine-person race during the March primary election. She narrowly missed the democratic party’s nomination and a chance to avoid a runoff.
Hamilton earned 17% of the votes in that election. In that packed race, the number of votes was good enough to catapult Hamilton to the runoff with Crockett.
Leading up to the runoff election, both the Crockett and Hamilton campaigns have criticized the other for tactics.
The Hamilton campaign has been critical of Crockett and an alleged substantially large amount of funding from a cryptocurrency billionaire.
Hamilton’s campaign and some supporters have also questioned why Crockett failed to publish an address for a District 100 office since she began her tenure as a state legislator. Crockett later said she’s secured a location and is planning to host a ribbon-cutting on that location soon.
Rep. Crockett and some of her supporters, including Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, III, have also blasted Hamilton’s campaign for allegedly spreading misinformation about Crockett’s voting record in the state legislature. They took issue with allegations that Crockett was absent during a critical vote in session. Crockett and her supporters explained she was absent due to joining Democratic colleagues in Washington, D.C. to fight against voter suppression.
Rep. Crockett was also criticized for statements made in campaign literature about representing the family of Botham Jean, a young accountant who was shot and killed by a Dallas Police Officer who entered his home. Jean’s family wrote a public letter saying Crockett never represented their family. They alleged she was using their family name for political gain and claimed the references were causing them added trauma. Crockett later described the website mentions as an oversight by her team.
U.S. House Texas District 30 is a largely democratic region. It covers a wide portion of Southern Dallas County including parts of Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Duncanville, and DeSoto.
Candidates for the Republican primary runoff are also working hard to capture the attention of voters. The candidates include James “J Frank” Harris, who works in community youth diversion programs, and Dr. James Rodgers, an educator and former small businessman, who works as a recruiter for a Christian nonprofit.
