Retiring Dallas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Endorses Jasmine Crockett To Succeed Her
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - At Fair Park Wednesday, first-term Democratic State Representative Jasmine Crockett of Dallas announced she's running for the 30th Congressional District. "Some may wonder whether I'm ready. I'm here to tell you I'm ready."
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who's held the seat for nearly 30 years and announced she'll retire at the end of her term next year, thinks Crockett is ready.
Crockett told supporters, "I feel so proud to think that she would think that I'm worthy."
As she spoke, Congresswoman Johnson's campaign made her endorsement official in a statement saying, "...I categorically believe that Jasmine has the capability and the vision to take up the mantle to serve as your next U.S. House representative in Washington..."
When Johnson announced she was retiring Saturday, she asked the hundreds of people in the crowd to trust her judgment in backing a potential successor, and hoped it would have an impact on the race.
Before Crockett's announcement, a number of other people said they too are going to run for this Congressional seat.
But in an interview Tuesday, Congresswoman Johnson explained what she was looking for in a candidate to succeed her.
Johnson said, "I'm looking for someone who has fresh ideas, with the energy and interest to do their homework and to work across the aisle. I didn't make a decision lightly. It's not based on friendship. It's not based on longevity of acquaintance."
She also preferred a woman. "I feel that if I don't advocate for women, who will?"
Crockett said, "Congresswoman Johnson knows that I will work until two or three in the morning because some don't know she streamed a lot of our hearings on the House floor. She has seen me work. I truly feel that she knows that I have what it takes."
Crockett is among the House Democrats who broke quorum this summer and went to Washington, D.C. to try to block the Republicans' elections integrity bill in the State House, which ultimately passed.
She said voting rights, healthcare, reproductive rights, and police reform are her top priorities if elected.