Rep. Jasmine Crockett rocked the boat this Congress — just her first term on Capitol Hill — and there’s no reason to think she won’t make more waves in the next.
The Texas Democrat has quickly emerged as among the most prominent of the Democrats’ young and rising stars, carving out a reputation as a fierce partisan pugilist ready to take on conservatives over some of the hottest topics being debated in the Capitol.
In the process, Crockett has built a national following — one that’s been only enhanced by her frequent appearances on cable news and her supercharged presence on social media.
It wasn’t always so.
Crockett was a relatively obscure figure in the halls of Congress until earlier this year, when a verbal sparring match with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the conservative firebrand, churned headlines and launched Crockett instantly into the stratosphere of liberal superstardom.
The venue was the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, where both lawmakers are members. Greene had initiated the spat with a personal attack on Crockett’s appearance, suggesting Crockett’s “fake eyelashes” were clouding her vision. Crockett fired back, portraying Greene — a former CrossFit gym owner — as having a “bleach blonde bad built butch body.”
The fiery clash was plenty controversial — and some on the left criticized Crockett’s reference to “butch” women — but overall, it was a hit with the Democrats’ progressive base. Crockett began fundraising on the slogan.
Her formal ascension within the party hit a wall this month, when she tried to topple Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) as head of the House Democrats’ messaging arm in the next Congress. The challenge was unusual for a lawmaker with such little experience on Capitol Hill, and Democrats — who have a long tradition of honoring seniority — sent a strong message that those traditions still hold, siding with Dingell in a rout: 152-59.
