In Texas, Democrat Allred faces Cruz in the Senate race
Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred (center) with his wife Alexandra Eber, March 5, 2024, in Dallas. JULIO CORTEZ / AP
Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL football player, won the Democratic primary and will face incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, in November.
Colin Allred defeated his main Democratic rival, Roland Gutierrez (elected to the Texas Senate), who became known for calling for stricter gun regulations after the Uvalde massacre in May 2022.
In a speech to his supporters, Allred stated: “It is not inevitable that we will be ashamed of our senator (…) We can choose another.” » Outgoing Senator Ted Cruz particularly drew the ire of his opponents when he spoke amid an unprecedented and deadly cold snap in Texas in February 2021 flew to Cancun, Mexico. Allred also stated that he would protect abortion rights so that “people like Ted Cruz can't force women to flee their states to get the care they need.”
Ted Cruz, for his part, won the Republican primary because there was no candidate against him. In 2018, Cruz narrowly beat his Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke by less than 3 points.