Then-Vice President Kamala Harris personally mentored Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) along with a small group of emerging Democratic leaders through a private initiative called the “Stars Project,” according to her memoir 107 Days.
The program was designed to highlight rising talent in the Democratic Party during Harris’ brief 2024 presidential campaign, giving participants access to her guidance and the chance to secure speaking roles at high-profile party events.
Harris described the Stars Project as “secret,” known only to her senior staff.
Each Friday, she invited selected lawmakers and party officials to the West Wing or her official residence to discuss their initiatives and explore ways she could support their political growth.
“Many of those on my list spoke at the convention: Lauren Underwood, Robert Garcia, Angela Alsobrooks, Lateefah Simon, Maxwell Frost, Joe Neguse, Lina Hidalgo, Jasmine Crockett,” Harris wrote, according to Fox News.
Crockett, who has drawn criticism from conservatives for comparing ICE to “slave patrols” and supporting efforts to defund police, appeared to reference the Stars Project in a post on her personal Instagram account.
The content was also shared by the Texas-focused account Howdy Politics, noting that Harris guided rising Democrats and helped them secure convention speaking slots.
During her 2024 DNC speech, Crockett described her first encounter with Harris as a transformative moment.
“When I first got to Congress, I wasn’t sure I made the right decision,” she said at the time. “The chaos caucus couldn’t elect a speaker and the Oversight Committee was unhinged.”
“I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president’s residence for the first time. As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’”
Crockett said Harris’ response was deeply personal.
“Mind you, we’d never met. But she saw right through me,” she said. “She saw the distress. I immediately began crying, and the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened.”
Harris reportedly told her, “You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I.”
The congresswoman credited that interaction with giving her “legislative legs,” helping her gain confidence early in her congressional career.
“The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine,” Crockett said. “That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I’ve been running ever since.”
Recently, Crockett drew attention from conservatives after criticizing White lawmakers for honoring Charlie Kirk following his assassination.
“And to be clear, you can wave all the flags you want to, but I am telling you right now that the most unpatriotic people that we have in this country are MAGA and this president,” she said.
“We are the real patriots. And it is time for us to take our flag back and show people what America is about.”
The Stars Project demonstrates Harris’ strategy to cultivate emerging Democratic leaders while boosting their visibility in significant party events, attempting to shape a new wave of lawmakers prepared for leadership.
