Frederick Haynes III has won the Democratic nomination for Texas' 30th Congressional District — a seat currently occupied by outgoing congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
The Associated Press called the race for Haynes just after 10:15 p.m. Tuesday. In his campaign kickoff, he emphasized health care for all, economic equality and abolishing ICE as priorities.
Haynes — a pastor and longtime activist for racial justice and civil rights — was endorsed by Crockett, as well as Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons and Kirk Johnson, son of Eddie Bernice Johnson. Johnson represented District 30 for three decades before Crockett.
The pastor has led Friendship-West Baptist Church in southern Dallas for more than 40 years, and was the hand-picked successor of civil rights icon Jesse Jackson to lead the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the social justice organization founded by Jackson. But Haynes unexpectedly stepped down as President and CEO of the coalition after just months on the job.
Tuesday's contest was prompted by Crockett's decision to run for the U.S. Senate, creating a rare opportunity in one of Texas' safest Democratic districts.
The 30th District is based in Dallas and covers much of southern Dallas County. It has long been a Democratic stronghold. The seat was held for nearly three decades by former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson before Crockett won it in 2022.
The Democratic primary was widely viewed as the race that would determine the district's next member of Congress. That's because Republicans have not been competitive here in recent cycles.
The open-seat dynamic quickly reshaped local political alliances and drew a field of candidates seeking to succeed Crockett.
Haynes is a longtime Dallas faith leader who entered the race shortly after Crockett launched her Senate campaign. He emphasized his decades of community leadership and deep ties to church networks across the district, arguing that his experience working in neighborhoods throughout southern Dallas positioned him to represent the area effectively in Washington.
Former state Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway, who also served on the Dallas City Council, entered the race highlighting her legislative experience and argued that she would be prepared to serve in Congress on day one.
Throughout the campaign, Caraway emphasized her record on public education, health care access and economic opportunity, framing the race as a choice about readiness and experience.
The district is racially and economically diverse, with significant Black and Hispanic voting populations and a strong base of Democratic primary voters who regularly participate in local elections.
With the nomination now decided, Haynes advances to the November general election, where he will face either Everett Jackson, Sholdon Daniels, Gregorio Heise, or Nils Walker. Jackson was slightly ahead of the pack Wednesday morning, but without a clear margin of victory that would avoid a runoff.
Given the district's voting history, the Democratic nominee enters the general election as the clear favorite.
Additional reporting by Dylan Duke.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org.
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