Retiring House Dem endorses Texas lawmaker who fled state over election bill

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Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, on Wednesday endorsed Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Crockett to take her seat just days after announcing her intentions to retire.

Crockett, a first-term state representative, made headlines in July as part of the group of Texas lawmakers who fled to Washington, D.C., in an attempt to block a vote on the state Republicans‘ elections integrity bill, which eventually passed and was signed into law in September.

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Texas State Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-100) (2nd L) speaks as Co-founder and Executive Director of Black Voters Matter Cliff Albright (L) looks on during a demonstration on voting rights outside National Museum of African American History and Culture August 4, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"Some may wonder whether or not I’m ready. I’m here to tell you I’m ready," Crockett said in announcing her candidacy during a news conference in Dallas on Wednesday,

Rep. Johnson, who has served nearly 30 years in Congress, announced Saturday that she’ll retire at the end of her term next year. Her campaign issued a statement after Crockett’s announcement saying Crockett "is just the person we need in Congress at this critical time."

"A vibrant congressional district like TX-30 needs a representative in Washington with high energy, a passion to fight for us, shrewd intelligence, leadership, and an incessant drive," Johnson’s campaign said, The Texas Tribune reported. 

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Crockett, a civil rights attorney and progressive, is entering what is expected to be a crowded race in a district considered safe for Democrats.

Texas state Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-District 100) speaks alongside Rev. William Barber, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, and fellow representatives, as they prepare to deliver a petition to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer calling for an end to the filibuster, the passage of the For The People Act and restoring the Voting Rights Act, at the U.S. Supreme Court on August 12, 2021 in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"I feel so proud to think that she would think that I’m worthy," she said in response to Johnson’s endorsement. "She has seen me work. I truly feel she knows that I have what it takes."

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Crockett said voting and abortion rights will be among her top priorities if elected.

"The fact that I’m going back 50 years when it comes to voting rights and reproductive rights is a problem in and of itself," she said, The Dallas Morning News reported. "We need to get back on track."