In 2022, Craft was selected as the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Thurrock. She was chosen in a ballot of local party members, beating Thurrock Council Labour leader John Kent, former Basildon Council Labour leader Jack Ferguson and Ealing Council member Miriam Rice.[7][6] She was convinced to run by her husband Alastair and applied for financial support from the organisation MotheRed to support her bid to become Labour's candidate in the seat.[5][4] Her bid was supported by former Thurrock Council Labour leader Jane Pothecary, former Thurrock mayor Carl Morris and John Biggs, the former mayor of Tower Hamlets. She was also endorsed by several trade unions, including GMB, Community and USDAW.[6][8]
After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the 2024 general election in May 2024, Craft said it was an opportunity for Labour to "unleash a decade of national renewal". She criticised the Conservative Party for presiding over the bankruptcy of Thurrock Council, which she said reflected the national situation under Sunak's Conservative government. Although optimistic, Craft warned that the election was "not a foregone conclusion" and pledged to "work hard for every single vote until the polls close" on election day.[9] In the same month, she launched the party's six pledges for the election with Labour leader Keir Starmer.[10] In June, she was endorsed by Ross Kemp.[11] In that month, she campaigned in the constituency with Starmer and Labour frontbenchers Liz Kendall and Yvette Cooper.[2]
At the general election on 4 July 2024, she defeated the incumbent Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price with 16,050 votes and was elected the new MP for Thurrock with a majority of 6,474 votes, or 17.2%, over Reform UK candidate Sophie Preston-Hall.[12][13][14][15] Her election made her one of at least three disabled MPs who were first elected in 2024, alongside Labour MP Marie Tidball and Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling.[16] She was sworn in to Parliament on 11 July 2024[17] and made her maiden speech on 4 September 2024.[18][19]