Rep. Jasmine Crockett is making a play to become one of the most powerful House Democrats in Washington.
The Texas lawmaker who has made a name for herself as a fierce Trump critic officially threw her name in the ring to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
The bid comes after Rep. Gerry Connolly passed away last month while serving as the ranking member after beating out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the spot on the powerful committee.
Crocket had signaled she was mulling a bid, but she made it official with a letter to colleagues on Tuesday.
“In this moment, Americans are demanding a more strategic, aggressive, and energetic fight,” she wrote in the letter.
“Understanding that fierce urgency, I formally announce my candidacy for Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform—with a focus on standing up for American families, defending the Constitution and the rule of law, and ensuring the government serves the people, not the privileged few,” she continued.
Crockett went on to roast the Trump administration, arguing the U.S. is in an “existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic.”
Crockett is already considered a rising star of the Democratic Party and has made a name for herself going after MAGA Republicans. Leading the House Oversight Committee could give the 44-year-old another major boost.
Whoever becomes the top Democrat on the committee would play a key role in potentially investigating the Trump administration should Democrats retake the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Crockett wrote that whoever takes over the position “must lay out our case against Trump 2.0 and his accomplices, the Republicans in the House, and discharge this message across the nation.”
Three other Democrats have already thrown their names in the ring for the top spot, including Reps. Robert Garcia, Stephen Lynch, and Kweisi Mfume. Lynch, 70, is the interim ranking member.
Last year, Connolly beat Ocasio-Cortez for the top position in a closed-door caucus vote.
The contest gained attention for its generational split. Some critics saw Connolly’s victory as a member of the old guard blocking a younger member from taking the lead in the age of Donald Trump.
Ocasio-Cortez opted not to run again for the top position this go round.
In her letter to colleagues, Crockett highlighted her background as a public defender, civil rights, and criminal defense attorney. The Democrat is in her second term in Congress after also serving as a Texas state representative.
The closed-door caucus election is set to take place on June 24.
