Southwest
Dem strategists say Texas requires centrists — but their new Senate frontrunner is anything but
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When it comes to the heavily contested Senate battle in Texas, former Rep. Colin Allred is out, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is in, and Democrats appear divided over whether Crockett’s a political liability in the ruby-red Lone Star State as the party works to flip the crucial seat.
The stakes in the race are extremely high, as it’s one of a handful across the country that will likely determine if Republicans hold their Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.
Crockett, a two-term lawmaker who represents a Dallas-area district, is a progressive firebrand and rising Democratic Party star with a large social media following who is known as a vocal critic and foil of President Donald Trump. Her launch will likely further rock the Texas ballot box showdown, which, on the Republican side, includes a very combustible battle between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and GOP primary rivals state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
“The Democratic Party’s aspirations to win statewide in a red state like Texas simply don’t exist without a centrist Democrat who can build a winning coalition of ideologically diverse voters,” Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group which advocates for moderate Democratic candidates, argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.
JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS SHE DOESN’T NEED TO CONVERT TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN HER TEXAS SENATE BID
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (LM Otero/AP Photo)
Allred, who was making his second straight bid for the Senate after losing last year to conservative Sen. Ted Cruz by nine points, abandoned his bid on Monday and announced he would run next year to return to the House, hours before Crockett launched her campaign.
Crockett will now face off in her party’s primary with state Rep. James Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is also seen as a rising Democrat. The two surging contenders will face off in the March 3 primary.
FIERCE TRUMP CRITIC CROCKETT SHAKES UP HIGH STAKES SENATE RACE
“I think we’re in a period where we’re looking for new fresh faces to lead the party, and that’s what you’ve got in Texas,” veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital.
And Caiazzo, apparently pointing to Allred, said, “No more retreads. If you ran and lost, it’s time for something new.”
Allred, facing the prospect of battling two younger rivals with formidable fundraising, opted to switch races.
Former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred of Texas on Monday suspended his 2026 Senate bid and launched a House campaign. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
“I don’t think he was pushed out of the race. I think he was considering it on his own. But I don’t doubt that he was certainly urged to continue considering it until he finally did it,” a veteran Texas-based Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital.
The strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said, “With Crockett getting into the race, she cuts into a lot of Allred’s base. They’re both pulling from the Black Democratic primary vote, and they’re both from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, except she’s in office right now with a huge following and making a lot of headlines. That’s a real threat to his Senate campaign.”
With less than three months until the primary, political pundits list Crockett as the Democratic frontrunner.
SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHIEF SAYS CROCKETT CANDIDACY EXPOSES HOW ‘RADICAL’ DEMOCRATS ARE
“I’m done watching the American dream on life support while Trump tries to pull the plug. The gloves have been off, and now I’m jumping into the ring,” Crockett said as she announced her candidacy.
And her launch included a video playing several soundbites of President Donald Trump attacking her.
Kerr said Crockett as the party’s nominee would be a problem in a state where no Democrat has won a Senate election in nearly four decades — since Sen. Lloyd Bentsen’s re-election in 1988.
“We appreciate Rep. Crockett being so explicit that she’s not trying to win over Trump supporters or persuadable voters, but that approach simply doesn’t work in statewide Texas races. You can’t win competitive or red territory without persuading less partisan, independent, and Republican voters,” he argued.
But Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist and founder of Winning Margins, a communications firm, told Fox News Digital that “Rep. Crockett is running to change the political landscape in Texas.”
“If she wins, she becomes a legend who can run for president. If she loses, she still becomes a political voice for years to come who gets the money to talk and move people.”
Ceraso argued that the Democratic Party is “a reactionary party to President Trump and will be that way for the next few years. Crockett is turning this ‘reaction’ into a platform, and maybe she’ll stick the landing on policies that connect with voters.”
Asked if Crockett is too far to the left to win statewide, the Texas-based Democratic strategist who asked for anonymity, pointing to the party’s poor performances, said, “It can’t get any worse, right. We keep losing by 10 points. We may as well try something different.”
Republicans are over the moon at the prospect of Crockett as the Democrats’ 2026 Senate nominee.
“I think it says something about who the Democrats are nationally, not just in Texas. What it says is that they’ve been overrun by this radical left agenda that focuses on rhetoric, not reality,” said Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Monday.
But Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin isn’t buying the GOP messaging that all Democrats are far-left radicals.
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“We have conservative Democrats, we have centrist Democrats, we have progressives, and we have leftists. And I’ve always said that you win elections through addition, not subtraction. You win by bringing people into your coalition and growing your party,” Martin told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
And Martin argued that “unlike the Republicans, who are fairly homogenous, who, you know, basically have one ideology and do not allow for any dissent, the Democratic Party has a lot of different thoughts and ideas which certainly share the same goals, but many different ways to get to those goals.”
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After more than four decades, the remains of a woman who was found buried in the mountains of Riverside County were identified as a multi-millionaire who went missing in 1981.
The body of Thelma Gaston was discovered by a person gathering firewood in a mountainous area near Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Pinyon Crest community on Nov. 28, 1981.
After experiencing a series of heartbreaking life events, including the death of her husband and her 32-year-old son in the same year in 1957, Gaston continued forging ahead, focusing on her business of buying repossessed properties and selling them.
By 1980, she had amassed a fortune estimated to be over $20 million, SFGATE reported.
On June 28, 1981, a note was left on the front door of her home near Century City, saying she was out searching for her cat. However, she never returned home and her loved ones did not hear from her.
By then, Gaston was 80 years old. As Los Angeles Police Department detectives investigated her disappearance, they discovered a younger man, Lawrence Remsen, then 39, had recently entered her life and was the woman’s romantic companion, SFGATE reported.
At one point, the woman’s friends said Gaston had wondered about Remsen’s motives in being with her.
Police eventually found letters and documents reportedly signed by Gaston that gave Remsen power of attorney. Another letter allegedly written by the woman claimed she had run away “to have some fun in life.” However, her friends said the move was completely out of character.
Detectives later confirmed the letters were certified with a stolen notary stamp and her signatures were believed to be forged.
Remsen had tried selling some of Gaston’s properties and attempted to withdraw more than $100,000 from her bank accounts. Remsen eventually fled the Southern California area.
A few months later, he was arrested by border agents when he tried to enter the U.S. from Mexico. He was charged with Gaston’s murder even though the woman’s body had not been found.
During a trial hearing, Remsen later claimed he found the woman dead of natural causes in her home and, attempting to take her fortune, had disposed of her body in the ocean.
The judge disagreed and later ruled that Remsen had killed the woman “intentionally and with malice.” He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Gaston’s body was later discovered buried in a shallow grave in the mountains. However, due to the poor condition of the remains, investigators were unable to narrow down an identity.
A breakthrough occurred in 2022 when the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau received new funding to reexamine long-standing unidentified cases.
“Combined with significant advances in forensic science, this funding opened new avenues for identification,” the sheriff’s office said.
In May 2026, utilizing investigative genetic genealogy and dental records, the remains were positively identified as Gaston’s.
“The Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau extends its sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication, expertise, and perseverance made this identification possible,” officials said in a statement. “Together, these efforts have ensured that Ms. Gaston has her name—and her story—returned to her.”
Remsen, who is now 83 years old, continues serving his life sentence at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
A Chino Hills man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent incident at a local liquor store, authorities announced Tuesday.
The July 13 incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Descanso Avenue, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which responded to reports of a stabbing at the location.
Arriving deputies found a stabbing victim inside the store and rendered medical aid until personnel with the Chino Valley Fire District arrived. The victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition.
While being treated at the scene, investigators said the victim repeatedly stated that someone named Alex was responsible for the attack.
The suspect, now identified as Hayden Alexander Marquez, 30, was located not far from the liquor store and taken into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators did not provide a motive for the stabbing or detail the relationship between the two men.
Marquez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Station at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.
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