websearch = collin allred for senate
Rep. Allred is reported to have announced his candidacy today.
News is as news does. Will there be a Dem primary in Texas, and if so what would timing be, and will others besides Allred seek the seat?
Washington Examiner has a fairly objective report:
Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) made it official on Wednesday: He's challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for Senate.
The congressman came out swinging against Cruz, portraying him as an out-of-touch culture warrior uninterested in improving the lives of everyday Texans. Rumors swirled for months that he planned to run against Cruz. His launch video ticked off a slew of grievances with the incumbent senator.
"When Texans were freezing in the dark, he jetted off to Cancun to do anything to get on Fox News but can't be bothered to help keep rural Texas hospitals open," Allred said in an announcement video, referring to the 2021 energy crisis in the Lone Star State. "The struggles of regular Texans just don't interest him."
[...] Allred has widely been seen as a rising star within the House Democratic Caucus, having [... ] catapulted to prominence during the 2018 election cycle, in which he flipped Texas's 32nd Congressional District by besting former Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX).
Since then, he's held on to his seat twice despite hailing from a swing district full of conservative voters. He is a former NFL player, civil rights attorney, and special assistant in the Obama-era Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of General Counsel. Allred is one of 13 Democrats in the 40-member Texas congressional delegation.
Given Cruz's profile, any challenger to him is likely to draw significant national attention. [...]
"We deserve a senator whose team is Texas. Ted Cruz only cares about himself," Allred said. "You know that. He wants to divide us, to get people to fear their neighbors and turn on their teachers. He'd ban books, outlaw all abortions, and cut Social Security and Medicare. That's not my Texas."
Cruz has indicated he is running for reelection to the upper chamber. Last quarter, he raised about $1.5 million, according to his campaign, while Allred hauled $2.2 million to his congressional account, per elections records.
Heading into the 2024 election cycle, Democrats find themselves in a defensive position, having to defend 23 seats, including three held by Democratic-aligned independents. Republicans only have to defend 10.
AP coverage adds:
No other big names in Texas have entered the Senate race for Democrats, who are again trying to rebuild in the nation’s biggest red state after O’Rourke lost by double-digits in an expensive attempt to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last year.
Allred was a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans and will be giving up what is a safe congressional seat for Democrats in Dallas by entering the Senate race. He is a member of the House Foreign Affairs committee.
__________UPDATE__________
Collin Allred has a campaign website up and working: https://colinallred.com/
That website makes it quite easy to contribute to the campaign - for Allred, against Cruz. What could be a better pairing for paying a bit into politics, grassroots style?
Retire Ted Cruz to Cancun.