Dallas minister Frederick Haynes III was attending a civil rights summit in Montgomery, Ala., when he learned of a movement to draft him to replace Democrat Jasmine Crockett in Congress.
The draft Haynes website went up three days before the deadline to file for the March 3 primaries. His cellphone buzzing throughout the day, he concedes he was caught off guard.
“That’s when I knew it was serious, and I needed to seriously pray about it,” said Haynes, who for the next 48 hours consulted trusted allies.
He filed a late bid for the 30th Congressional District, a decision that reshaped not only his career, but also North Texas politics. It pushed Rep. Marc Veasey, a fellow Democrat from Fort Worth, into early retirement.
Political Points
Haynes, 65, will kick off his campaign with a rally Monday in Fair Park.
“A church member told me ‘you were awakened to the next phase of your purpose,’” he said.
Unlikely candidate
Haynes’ path from the pulpit to the stump took shape during debate over last summer’s redistricting plan. At legislative hearings, he spoke against the GOP plan that redrew the state’s congressional boundaries to give Republicans at least five more seats in Congress, including District 32 in North Texas.
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A group of young Democrats then approached Haynes about running for statewide office.
Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III speaks during a rally in opposition to mid-decade redistricting in Texas, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
“I told them thank you, but no,” he said. But they then “put a full court press on me.”
In September, Haynes took a medical leave of absence from his mega-church in southern Dallas, Friendship-West Baptist Church, which has long been a hub for prominent Black civic, political and business leadership.
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He said the political recruiters gave him a “respite” to allow him to recover. They were back again as the filing deadline for the 2026 primaries loomed.
Playing musical chairs
Before Haynes waltzed in, North Texas Democrats were playing a game of political musical chairs.
Reps. Crockett, Veasey and Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch were three potential candidates for two seats, since Johnson’s District 32 was made more Republican.
When Crockett announced she’d run for the Senate, it looked like the Democratic incumbents would all have a place to land.
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Veasey, whose District 33 was changed to shed all of his Tarrant County base, would go for Crockett’s southern Dallas District 30, which contained a swath of Tarrant County. And Johnson filed for District 33.
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey interacts with community members in a voting rights event, on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, at West Dallas Multipurpose Center in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
After the draft Haynes’ campaign website went live, Veasey had planned to share his 2026 plans but delayed a decision while waiting to see Haynes’ move.
Haynes said Veasey called him just before the 6 p.m. filing deadline on Dec. 8. “I shared with him that I had filed,” Haynes said. Veasey wished Haynes well and opted against running in District 30. He filed for Tarrant County judge, but a week later pulled out of that primary.
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On NBC5’s Lone Star Politics Sunday, Haynes called Veasey a “tremendous leader” and lamented he was leaving Congress.
“That is a loss and I regret that,” Haynes said. “I blame a political process that was weaponized by the White House and the governor of this state that basically said we will engage in racist gerrymandering.”
Crockett’s role
Crockett and Haynes met several times to discuss 2026 politics.
Haynes said their early conversations focused on prayer as Crockett weighed a possible Senate race. “It had nothing to do with me, because this was not on my radar,” he said.
Haynes said they later discussed his candidacy, and that Crockett told him she would support him.
Haynes said Crockett gave him “sage” advice, but he also reached out to others, including Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett hugs Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, as she takes the stage to address a rally at Antioch Fellowship Church on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Dallas.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
And Haynes said he reread an autobiography of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the trailblazing congressman from Harlem, N.Y., whose church leadership propelled him into politics.
The Montgomery civil rights summit Haynes attended in December commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott. The goal was finding ways to tackle the unfinished business of leaders like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King.
Haynes aims to use preaching, social justice activism and coalition building to craft legislative solutions for District 30, where many residents face poverty and despair.
“We’ve got to make a U-turn and go in the right direction,” he said. “At the same time, I want the next generation to be prepared to step in.”