DALLAS — Texas state Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Tuesday was cruising to a first-place finish in the race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, but the Democrat is likely to face a runoff against former congressional chief of staff Jane Hamilton.
Armed with the backing of Johnson and millions of dollars in support from two super PACs, Crockett was the clear front-runner in the nine-person field. In the weeks before the primary, the PACs -- controlled by cryptocurrency financiers -- flooded television airways with commercials boosting Crockett as well as leveraging digital ads and direct mail.
The freshman state representative from Dallas had hoped to win the contest without having to enter a runoff, but early voting returns showed her just short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.
