Colin Allred Launches Second Senate Campaign in Texas

DALLAS, Texas — Democrat Colin Allred officially announced his bid for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, marking his second attempt to unseat a high-profile Republican. Allred, previously a congressman from Texas, ran against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz last year but lost by 8.5 points.

In his announcement video, Allred expressed concern for working families in Texas, stating, “Texans are working harder than ever… all to be able to afford less.” He criticized politicians, saying they are “too corrupt to care about us and too weak to fight for us.”

Allred is the first significant Democrat to declare his candidacy for the Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn. Other prominent Democrats, such as Beto O’Rourke and state representatives, are considering entering the race.

Allred, a civil rights attorney, has a strong fundraising foundation and a higher favorability rating than some potential candidates according to a Texas Southern University poll. The poll indicated that 45% of voters had a favorable opinion of him, and he was only trailing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton by two points in a hypothetical matchup.

Allred’s campaign will also emphasize his grassroots approach. “In six years in Congress, I never took a dime of corporate PAC money, never traded a single stock. Never had a hint of scandal,” he noted, positioning his anti-corruption agenda as a cornerstone of his campaign.

His 2024 campaign against Cruz was characterized as more traditional and less charismatic than O’Rourke’s electrifying 2018 challenge. Allred hopes to leverage his prior experience and name recognition to create a different outcome in the upcoming election.

A range of statewide offices, including those for governor and lieutenant governor, will be on the ballot alongside the Senate race in 2026, which Democrats hope will help accelerate turnout and translate into victories amid potential backlash against Trump’s administration.

Allred’s background includes his upbringing by a single mother on a teacher’s salary in Dallas and his previous political career, which began when he ousted a longtime Republican official in 2018. He has also worked under President Barack Obama in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.