The Texas race between U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez was one of the most closely watched races on Super Tuesday, with the final tally landing in Allred’s favor.
Allred (D-TX) handily defeated Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) to advance to the general election on November 5, where he will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in an attempt to unseat the incumbent. Allred gained 58% of the vote to avoid a runoff election. Gutierrez, who campaigned largely on issues such as gun restrictions, conceded the race early in the evening when it was clear that he would not make up the difference as Allred jumped to an early lead.
“The truth is the stakes couldn’t be any higher in this election,” Allred said during his victory speech. “We do have a crisis at the border that we have to respond to; costs are still too high. We have had challenges before, and we will have them again.”
Allred is a fourth-generation Texan who grew up in the Dallas area. He played professional football for the Tennessee Titans and earned a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He began his political career in the administration of former President Barrack Obama before ousting a Republican to claim a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Allred will attempt to repeat the feat against Cruz.
“The fundamental reason that Democracy works is that people elect leaders to represent them and their interests, to try to fix things for them, not to look out for themselves,” added Allred. “We have had enough of that with Ted Cruz. It’s time to go in a different direction.”
Cruz remains popular. Polling by the Texas Political Project found that, as of February 2024, Cruz had a combined approval rating of 48% statewide.
Meanwhile, a PAC for Cruz released an ad before the Democratic primary had been called, claiming Allred is “too radical for Texas,” per WFAA.
“We are working to keep Texas, Texas, and the radical left from changing that,” said Cruz.
Cruz narrowly retained his Senate seat against his opponent Beto O’Rourke in the last election, with outlets reporting that the Republican incumbent took a passive approach to campaigning until late in the game. The recent ad aimed at Allred suggests that Cruz may be opting for a more aggressive strategy earlier on this time around.