Congressman Colin Allred Endorses Kamala Harris at Democratic National Convention

During the final night of the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Representative Colin Allred, a Democrat from Dallas, voiced his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, marking his most explicit endorsement for the candidate since she joined the presidential ticket.

Allred stated, “I’m so proud to be here to support our next president, Kamala Harris,” in brief remarks delivered from the main stage. As he embarks on his campaign to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Allred has maintained a focus on Texas issues, choosing to largely run his race independently from national Democratic strategies.

In his address to the Texas delegation, Allred emphasized his criticisms of Cruz without direct mention of Harris. His three-minute speech was primarily devoted to advocating for a victory over Cruz and former President Donald Trump, referring to them as “me-guys” who prioritize self-interest.

“You know, the type to talk a big game, only care about themselves, but you don’t want to get stuck with them at a barbecue,” Allred remarked. He continued by asserting, “We will restore reproductive freedom. We will secure the border. We will protect Medicare and Social Security. And we will turn the page and write a new chapter for this country and elect Kamala Harris to be the next president and beat Ted Cruz.”

Allred’s comments were met with chants of “Beat Ted Cruz,” illustrating the enthusiasm surrounding his campaign. The congressman shared the stage with other House Democrats involved in competitive Senate races, including Elissa Slotkin from Michigan and Ruben Gallego from Arizona.

Despite the boost in enthusiasm Harris brings to Democratic voters, Allred is mindful of the need to appeal to independent voters in a predominantly red state. As a result, he has maintained a degree of distance from her, not attending any of her campaign events in Texas and taking a cautious approach with his endorsements.

“I want to both run for this office the way I plan on serving in it, which is that I’m focused on Texas,” Allred explained during an interview. He acknowledged that many voters in Texas may not share Harris’s progressive views, particularly regarding immigration.

A recent poll from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs revealed Cruz leading Allred by a narrow 2-point margin, indicating a competitive race. The poll, which surveyed likely voters, showed Cruz with 46.6 percent to Allred’s 44.5 percent.

The Harris campaign has not defined Texas as a battleground state and is not planning to invest significantly in the region. However, Allred’s campaign will continue to focus on securing local votes without anticipation of extensive resources from the national Democratic framework.

Texas Democrats recently launched a coordinated effort to maximize support among candidates running for various offices, underscoring the importance of the upcoming elections.