‘It did cause me some issues’: Jasmine Crockett explains why she dropped out of race for top House Oversight role

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett‘s bid to be the top Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ended abruptly when the congresswoman announced that she dropped out of the race following a preliminary recommendation vote from her colleagues.

The Monday vote among Democratic members of the House Committee on Steering and Policy resulted in Crockett’s last-place finish. As a result, Crockett removed her name from the bidding, and, on Tuesday, House Democrats ultimately elected U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia of California as the committee’s ranking member.

On Monday night, Crockett took to social media to explain her decision to drop out of the race. She revealed that there were “questions” about her candidacy that she admits caused “some issues.” However, she did not provide much detail.

“Long story short…there have been recent questions about something that just wasn’t true, because I’m always loud and proud about everything that I have to say, but it did cause me some issues, for sure,” said Crockett.

Without getting into specifics of what the “issue” was that played into the committee vote, Crockett explained, “Caucus politics are different from the real world.”

Crockett, now serving her second term in Congress, has emerged as a popular voice within the Democratic Party due to several viral moments on the Oversight Committee, including her clashing with Republican colleagues like Reps. Nancy Mace (who challenged Crockett to “take it outside“) and Marjorie Taylor Greene, which notably resulted in Crockett’s now-famous phrase “Beach blonde, bad built, butch body.”

The congresswoman will retain her role as vice-ranking member of the Oversight Committee, the main investigative body of the U.S. House of Representatives. Crockett said she would “do what I can from this vantage point,” but added one caveat.

“I think I’m gonna be a little bit more like the rest of the 92%,” said the congresswoman, referring to the 92% of Black women who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris and who broadly dialed back their loud advocacy within the Democratic Party after her loss to now-President Donald Trump.

Crockett expressed gratitude for her seat in the United States Congress and left a positive message to her supporters.

“I truly still wonder how in the heck I got here, because this was nothing that I ever thought I would be for sure,” said the rising Democratic star. “So with that, I am trusting that this is what God kind of wants me to do in this moment. And I always trust and believe that there is something that he is up to.”