Democratic Rep. Colin Allred announced Wednesday that he would challenge Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a launch that gives his party a top-tier contender in a tough state. Allred, who played as a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans before becoming a civil rights lawyer, released a video that begins, “When I left the NFL, I thought my days of putting people on the ground were over. Then Jan. 6 happened.” The congressman continues by saying that, while he “took off my jacket and got ready to take on anyone who came through that door,” Cruz encouraged the rioters before hiding in a supply closet. “But that’s Ted for you,” says Allred, “all hat, no cattle.”
Democrats haven’t won a single statewide race in Texas since 1994, but Cruz’s surprisingly small 51-48 victory against Beto O’Rourke in 2018 gives the party some reasons for optimism in a cycle where they have so few other viable Senate targets. But before Allred, who would be the Lone Star State’s first Black senator, can focus on his potentially history-making bid, he’ll need to prepare for what could be a competitive primary against state Sen. Roland Gutierrez.
The San Antonio Express-News wrote last month that people close to Gutierrez, who would be the first Latino Democrat to represent the state, believe he's “nearly certain” to get in, though the San Antonio-based legislator says he’ll make his choice after the legislative session ends on May 29. But unlike Allred, who had $2.2 million stockpiled at the end of March in his federal campaign account, Gutierrez would need to start his fundraising from scratch. Cruz, for his part, finished the first quarter of the year with $3.3 million to defend himself in this expensive state.
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