Summary

Current:  US Representative of TX District 32 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
 District: Suburban area of northeastern Dallas County and a sliver of Collin and Denton counties
 Next Election: Running for United States Senate 

History:Allred was a linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL).

He left football to pursue a degree in law, receiving his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by positions in the Obama administration, first at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and later at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Subsequently, Allred worked as an attorney at the Perkins Coie law firm, where he was a voting rights litigator and counsel to clients including national and state political candidates and advocacy organizations.

Featured Quote: 
Every American should have access to paid family leave, so they can be with their new babies or loved ones in times of need, just like I did. Let’s #BuildBackBetter and finally get this done.

Featured Video: Congressman Colin Allred weighs in on Facebook’s suspension of Trump

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About

Colin Allred 1Born and raised in North Dallas by a single mom who was a Dallas public school teacher, Congressman d was student body president at Hillcrest High School and earned a full-ride football scholarship to Baylor University.

Diploma in hand and prepared to attend law school, Colin deferred his acceptance to play in the NFL. He was a linebacker for five seasons before sustaining a career-ending injury that opened the door for him to fulfill his other dream — becoming a civil rights attorney.

Colin served in the General Counsel’s office at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Colin later returned home to Dallas and decided to run for office to represent the district he grew up in.

As a Representative, Colin is dedicated to helping North Texas families gain the same opportunities he had to fulfill his dreams. Colin’s top priorities in Congress are working to lower health care costs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and creating an economy that works for everyone. Colin is passionate about expanding access to vocational and trade schools and lowering the cost of college so all North Texans have the shot at a middle-class job. He believes Congress must find common ground to rebuild our aging roads and bridges, pass comprehensive immigration reform and take care of our veterans.

Personal

Full Name: Colin Z. Allred

Gender: Male

Family: Wife: Alexandra; 2 Children: Jordan, Cameron

Birth Date: 04/15/1983

Birth Place: Dallas, TX

Home City: Dallas, TX

Religion: Methodist

Source: Vote Smart

Education

JD, University of California School of Law at Berkeley, 2011-2014

BA, History, Baylor University, 2001-2005

Political Experience

Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 32, 2019-present

Candidate, United States Senate, Texas, 2024

Professional Experience

Special Assistant, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2016-2017

Associate, Perkins Coie, Limited Liability Partnership, 2015-2016

Regional Director, Battleship Texas, 2014

Law Clerk, United States Attorney’s Office, 2014

Intern, Office of the White House Counsel, 2013

Research Assistant, University of California Berkeley School of Law, 2012-2013

Linebacker, Tennessee Titans, National Football League, 2006-2011

Offices

Washington, DC Office
114 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2231

District Office
100 North Central Expressway
Suite 602
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 972-7949

Fax: (888) 671-0539

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Finances

Source: Open Secrets

Committees

Congressman Allred serves on the following committees:

  • Transportation and Infrastructure
    • Subcommittees: Highways and Transit; Aviation
  • Foreign Affairs
  • The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government

Congressman Allred serves on the following Congressional caucuses:

  • New Democratic Coalition
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Future Forum; Co-chair of Communications
  • Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group
  • Supply Chain Caucus; Co-chair

New Legislation

Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Representative Allred.

Issues

Source: Campaign page

Health Care

Colin believes health care is a right and every Texan deserves access to quality, affordable health care.

Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, leading to much worse health outcomes for the more than 5 million Texans who are uninsured, and higher health care costs and property taxes for every Texan. Millions of our neighbors are one illness or accident away from bankruptcy, and millions more are underinsured, unable to afford vital medications or procedures, all while the cost of care and prescription drugs continues to rise. Colin was fortunate his single mom, a Dallas public school teacher, had health insurance through her job. And when his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, he saw how, without his mom’s Medicare-backed plan, their family could quickly have been bankrupted.

In Congress, Colin has been a champion for expanding access to health care and lowering costs. His first act in Congress was to stand up to partisan attacks on the Affordable Care Act, maintaining protections for people with pre-existing health conditions and expanding coverage for working families. He led the fight to lower drug costs for Texas seniors, passing a cap on out-of-pocket costs, capping the cost of insulin, and allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription costs to drive down prices. He is committed to extending these savings to all Texans.

Colin believes that Texas should expand Medicaid, covering 1.4 million more Texans using tax dollars that our state is already paying to the federal government, but he is unwilling to wait for state officials to do the right thing. In Congress, Colin has worked to use the Affordable Care Act to lower costs and insure Texans who should have been eligible for Medicaid. In the Senate, Colin will protect and improve Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act, while also investing in a new generation of highly trained nurses and primary care physicians.

And Colin will always stand up for a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health care decisions.

His priorities are:

  • Lowering prescription drug costs
  • Putting quality, affordable health care in reach for every Texan
  • Restoring and protecting women’s reproductive rights
  • Expanding access to health care in rural communities where hospital closures have created a crisis of care
  • Investing in addiction treatment services to help combat the opioid and fentanyl epidemic
  • Holding big pharmaceutical and insurance companies accountable for price gouging and denials of treatment
  • Increasing access to mental health services

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Colin believes women should have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions, without interference from the government. He strongly opposed the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and supports legislation to make the protections under Roe v. Wade the law of the land. Colin has spoken out against Texas’ extreme law that bans abortion before most women even know they’re pregnant and offers no exceptions, even in the cases of rape, incest, and when the health of the mother is in jeopardy. Colin trusts women to decide if and when to start a family – and to make their own health care decisions.

Colin’s also worked to expand access to affordable birth control and over-the-counter contraception to reduce teen pregnancy and give women more control over their future.

Jobs & Economic Growth

Colin lived his version of the American Dream here in Texas and is committed to restoring this fundamental promise for future generations by fighting for good-paying jobs and an economy that works for everyone.

In Congress, Colin has been an advocate for small businesses and raising wages for workers, earning the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Advocate for American Business Award for championing bipartisan policies that help the growth of local businesses. He’s one of the few members of Congress to be endorsed by both the U.S. Chamber, the definitive national voice for business, and leading labor unions, like the AFL-CIO, in both of his re-election campaigns.

Colin knows that to keep our economy prospering, we must ensure that businesses have trained workers and that Texans can access the training they need to find a good paying job. In Congress, Colin has been a strong supporter of job apprenticeship programs through expanded use of the Pell Grant to help talented young people get trained in the skills they need to meet the needs of our economy. He has also secured over $14 million for local institutions like Dallas College, University of Texas at Dallas, and Texas A&M Commerce to help support and expand their job training efforts. Additionally, he helped secure a tech hub at SMU in Dallas that will train Texans to work in high tech manufacturing jobs.

Colin believes that every American has the right to retire with dignity, which is why he strongly opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare to ensure a secure retirement for every Texan.

In Congress Colin has:

  • Passed a once-in-a-generation investment, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to repair and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, creating thousands of Texas jobs.
  • Worked with the Texas delegation and President Trump to pass the revised USMCA trade deal with Mexico and Canada, supporting tens of thousands of Texas jobs.
  • Voted to bring American high-tech manufacturing back to our shores and invest in microchips made right here in Texas.
  • Helped grow our energy industry and make our power grid more reliable, helping to keep Texas as the number one state for wind energy and second biggest state for solar power.
  • Voted for the Paycheck Fairness Act which will help ensure women get equal pay for equal work.
  • Voted to raise the minimum wage, because in America, no one should live in poverty while working full time and playing by the rules.
  • Made job training a top priority because we must ensure all our workers can get the skills they need, whether they go to college or not.
  • Expanded investments in high-speed internet to ensure that every community in Texas has access to information, global markets and business opportunities

After the birth of his first child, Colin became the first member of Congress to take paternity leave. He understands the importance of paid family leave for new parents to bond with their children and for people to be able to take care of sick loved ones. Growing up without a father, Colin promised himself that he would be a devoted and loving father, and he wants the same opportunities for all moms and dads. He understands that this is not only a family issue but an economic one – without paid leave, many parents simply can’t afford to take time off to take care of their child.

Colin will continue to champion small businesses, stand up for fair wages and good benefits for workers, invest in skills training, and work to bring more manufacturing jobs back home to America.

Education

As the son of a single mom who taught in Dallas public schools, Colin knows the importance of education and the struggles facing so many teachers today. Dallas public schools gave Colin the preparation he needed to make it to Baylor University and eventually law school.

Without sustained investments in public education, a generation of kids are in danger of being left behind, robbed of the opportunity to live their dreams and create a better life for themselves and their families.

In Congress, Colin has been a strong supporter of investing in our public schools and ensuring they have the resources they need to support our students. This includes investing in school infrastructure as well as lowering the cost of child care and universal pre-K, so that every child, regardless of their zip code, can get a good start on their education and parents get much-needed relief in child care.

Colin believes we must prepare the next generation of Texans for the jobs of the future by expanding access to community colleges and strengthening job training programs. He believes we must drive down the cost of higher education across the board, so that middle class families aren’t saddled with thousands of dollars in debt to get a college degree. Colin knows how hard teachers work, and strongly supports efforts in the state legislature to raise teachers’ pay.

Immigration

Colin’s mother was raised in Brownsville and he often spent summers visiting his grandmother in the Rio Grande Valley. He knows our current immigration system is broken and supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes securing our borders, protecting Dreamers, and providing a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are working hard and obeying the law. Colin will work with both parties to get it done.

In Congress, Colin has fought to keep our border and communities secure by ensuring our law enforcement is equipped with the training and tools they need. Colin has worked to protect Dreamers, and voted for the bipartisan Dream and Promise Act — a common-sense solution to ensure these young people who are here through no fault of their own can stay in the only country they have ever known.

Colin is committed to solutions that ensure those obeying the law, working hard, paying taxes, and contributing to our economy have a pathway to earn citizenship.

Colin has been vocal that we need to ensure due process under the law when handling immigration cases because no family seeking legal means to come to America should be separated at the border. Additionally, employers who knowingly hire and exploit undocumented workers should be held accountable for their actions. He is focused on real solutions to this complicated problem, not cruel political stunts that don’t represent our values or solve the problem.

Colin believes we must do more to support our border communities who have been most affected by increased migration, and work with countries across Central and South America to address the root causes of economic instability and violence that fuel migration.

Defending Democracy

As a voting rights lawyer and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Colin is a leading voice for protecting and expanding democracy here at home and abroad.

Colin believes that we need to reverse the undue influence of money in politics by putting power back in the hands of the people. That’s why Colin supports legislative efforts, including a constitutional amendment, to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling that allowed unlimited special interest money to flow into our elections. Colin doesn’t accept campaign donations from corporate PACs. He is a voice for Texans, not donors or corporate special interests.

This issue is personal to Colin: as a voting rights attorney who has seen the negative impact of voter suppression firsthand, Colin knows that these practices must end.

Colin was an early leader, calling for wholesale reforms to root out corruption, get big money out of politics, end gerrymandering, and ensure every eligible voter can easily exercise their constitutional right to vote. In Congress, Colin has been a champion of legislation reinstating and modernizing the Voting Rights Act to halt new voter suppression laws that have had a clear impact on voter turnout.

Gun Violence Prevention

Texas has a strong heritage of responsible gun ownership – and we should be proud of our state’s history of marksmanship, hunting, and self-reliance. Growing up, Colin learned riflery at YMCA summer camp – teaching him the values of responsibility and prioritizing firearm safety.

Responsible, law-abiding Texans own guns for a variety of reasons, and Colin strongly supports our right to do so. And Colin knows we can respect the 2nd Amendment while taking common-sense steps to protect our kids and save lives – steps that will have no effect on responsible gun owners.

Colin was proud to vote with Texas Senator John Cornyn to help pass the most significant gun violence reduction bill in a generation following the Uvalde tragedy, implementing common-sense reforms such as expanding background checks, closing the boyfriend loophole, and expanding mental health services.

Colin has also worked in Congress to ensure local law enforcement are able to intervene and make sure that, if someone is going through a mental health crisis, they aren’t able to easily access firearms they can use to injure or kill themselves or others.

Colin also supports common-sense safe storage laws for firearms so that young children aren’t able to accidentally injure or kill themselves or their siblings, or criminals aren’t able to steal them and use them in violent crimes.

Whether it’s suicides, homicides in Texas inner cities, or mass shootings at our schools and places of worship, the rate of gun deaths in this state is unacceptable. Colin wants to bring Texans together to find common-sense solutions that will simultaneously protect our constitutional rights – and save lives.

Equality Under the Law

As a civil rights attorney, Colin believes we must stand united against all forms of prejudice and discrimination. He’s been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, proudly supporting passage of legislation enshrining marriage equality into law and voting to protect Texans from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender.

Political attacks targeting LGBTQ+ Texans are shameful and are attacks on the fundamental right to live free from discrimination. These attacks are particularly harmful to transgender kids and their families who just want to live their lives free from interference and intimidation.

Colin also fought for fairness for women, voting to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

He knows diversity is one of Texas’ great strengths, and he continues to support programs to help lift up and create opportunities for communities of color across our state. When our businesses and our government have leadership that reflects the diversity of Texas, it makes us stronger.

Energy & Environment

We can protect our environment, combat climate change, lower energy costs and incentivize economic growth simultaneously. We need an all-of-the-above energy strategy that keeps costs low and helps create a more reliable electric grid. For the last one hundred years Texas has been an energy leader and Colin will continue to support responsible oil and gas production as he has done during his time in Congress. He has been an advocate for taking necessary steps to limit methane leaks and he helped secure $25 million for Texas to plug 800 orphan wells.

Colin knows that to continue our status as the number one energy producing state, Texas can and should lead on renewable and clean energy, creating good-paying jobs for hard-working Texans and protecting the planet for future generations. We are already doing it with wind and solar energy – Texas leads the nation in wind energy production and is second in solar energy production.

It’s clear there will be an economic competition to lead the clean energy future, and Colin knows that if we’re going to keep these jobs in Texas, we have to make the investments necessary to beat China and lead the world.

National Security & Veterans

Colin serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and has the utmost respect for our brave men and women in uniform and our veterans. He believes a strong national defense is critical to protecting America and our interests around the world.

Colin has been honored to meet with troops serving our nation across the globe, having made official visits to Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Japan, and Kuwait. He’s also visited Israel multiple times to encourage peace throughout the region.

He is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and its defense against the Russian invasion. Colin knows that protecting our democratic allies against Russian and other aggressors is vital to our national interest. And he will continue to support efforts to root out terrorist groups that threaten America. Colin also believes that we must deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, and has made an official visit to Taiwan to reinforce our commitment to this important strategic and democratic partner.

Colin believes we must do more to honor our sacred commitment to take care of our veterans. He led a bipartisan effort to create a new VA medical center in Garland, creating 5,000 jobs and reducing wait times for veterans to get much-needed care. Colin has also led efforts to establish a new state-of-the-art spinal cord injury center in Dallas and fund the construction of a new VA medical center in El Paso.

He strongly supports expanding mental health and addiction services so that veterans suffering from PTSD and other service-related trauma can access the help they need. Colin also supports measures to increase job-training programs and educational opportunities so veterans can find good civilian jobs that take advantage of their skills. The number of homeless veterans is deeply troubling – and we must help local communities provide shelter and transition services to get unhoused veterans into safe, stable housing.

Agriculture & Rural Communities

Rural communities and the agriculture industries that support them have always been part of the fabric of Texas. About 1-in-7 Texans work in agriculture-related jobs, and our state is the top producer of cotton in the nation.

Colin worked with both parties to pass a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, ensuring Texas’ farmers and ranchers have access to important markets and can benefit from increased and more fair trade.

As a member of the Transportation Committee, Colin was proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass historic infrastructure investments in every part of Texas. This includes our roads and bridges as well as expanding access to affordable high-speed internet. In the 1930s lawmakers worked together to bring electricity to our rural communities, and now Colin is proud to help bring $3.3 billion to Texas, the most of any state, to ensure that by 2030 everyone in our rural communities can have access to affordable high-speed internet. Colin is also proud that the Affordable Connectivity Program, another part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is helping 1.5 million Texans with lower internet bills.

Colin knows that too many of our rural communities are being left out of Texas’ economic growth. Too many young people are struggling to find economic opportunity in the small towns that raised them; too many are having to travel long distances to get job training or an education or to see a doctor; and too many are falling prey to deadly fentanyl and the opioid epidemic.

In the past decade, more than 21 rural hospitals have closed across our state – far more than any other state. This is the result of our rising health care costs and failure to expand Medicaid so that these costs don’t fall back on the hospitals. Rural hospitals are not only a lifeline for health care for our rural communities, but they can act as economic engines bringing jobs and local tax revenue.

Colin has worked to deliver for rural communities — he has lowered health care costs for folks that get health plans through healthcare.gov and he voted to cap insulin and prescription drug costs for folks on Medicare. He also helped pass into law the bipartisan Rural Emergency Hospital program, which gives rural communities financial help to keep health care centers open and prevent closures.

Colin knows that when our rural communities are strong, Texas is strong. He is committed to ensuring that whether it is protecting our energy economy, supporting farmers and ranchers or increasing access to affordable health care — we must deliver for our rural communities.

Seniors

Colin is deeply committed to protecting Medicare and Social Security for Texas seniors who spent a lifetime paying into those programs and rely on them to retire with dignity and security. He has repeatedly stood up to right-wing efforts to cut benefits and privatize Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher system.

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

District

Source: Wikipedia

Texas’s 32nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves a suburban area of northeastern Dallas County and a sliver of Collin and Denton counties. The district was created after the 2000 United States census, when Texas went from 30 seats to 32 seats. It was then modified in 2011 after the 2010 census. The current representative is Democrat Colin Allred.

Among other communities, the district includes part of the North Dallas neighborhood of Preston Hollow, which has been the home of George W. Bush since the end of his presidency. While it previously contained much of the Western Dallas County area, including Irving, since the 2011–2012 redistricting cycle, the district now covers mostly the Northern and Eastern Dallas County areas, and a small portion of Colin County.

In 2018, civil rights attorney and former NFL player Colin Allred won a heavily contested primary for the Democratic nomination, and defeated Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in the November 6 election. The district, like most suburban districts in Texas, had long been considered solidly Republican. However, its pre-2022 configuration was considered more of a swing district as a result of changing demographics, along with antipathy towards former President Donald Trump in suburban areas. After 2022, the district was reconfigured to be solidly Democratic, re-electing Allred with over 60% of the vote.

Wikipedia

Colin Zachary Allred (born April 15, 1983) is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, and former professional football player serving as the U.S. representative from Texas’s 32nd congressional district since 2019. The district includes the northeastern corner of Dallas, as well as many of its northeastern suburbs, such as Garland, Richardson, Sachse, Wylie, and the Park Cities.

Before entering politics, Allred was a linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He was released after 4 years and no other team signed him so he left football to pursue a degree in law, receiving his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by positions in the Obama administration, first at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and later at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. A member of the Democratic Party, Allred defeated 11-term incumbent Pete Sessions in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas.

Allred challenged Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the 2024 United States Senate election in Texas. He was defeated by Cruz in the general election.[1] Not having ran for re-election as a U.S. representative, he will be succeeded by Julie Johnson.[2]

Early life and education

Allred was born in Dallas, Texas. He was raised by a single mother who was a public school teacher.[3] A fourth-generation Texan,[4] Allred attended Hillcrest High School in Dallas, where he played baseball, basketball and football, and served as class president.[3] He earned a scholarship to play college football at Baylor University.[5][6]

In 2001, Allred began to play for the Baylor Bears as a linebacker[7] under head coach Guy Morriss.[8] In 2005, he was selected as the team captain and defensive MVP.[9][10] In December 2005, Allred graduated from Baylor with a Bachelor of Arts in history.[11][12] As a senior, he received All-Big 12 honorable mention from the Associated Press.[13] He was also selected as a first-team Academic All-Big 12 in 2004 and 2005.[11][10]

Professional career

Football

Allred (#56) on a defensive play during Tennessee Titans training camp in 2008

Allred was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2006 NFL draft on May 4, 2006. He was waived on August 29 but re-signed on January 26, 2007. Allred was waived again on September 1 during final cuts and signed to the practice squad on September 2.

He was promoted to the active roster as linebacker[3] on December 15 and made his NFL regular season debut on December 16, 2007.[14] In four seasons for the Titans between 2007 and 2010, Allred appeared in 32 games and recorded 46 tackles.[15]

On October 10, 2010,[16] during a Titans game with the Dallas Cowboys, he was severely injured in the neck during a game when he collided with Cowboys player Martellus Bennett.[17] He subsequently decided to retire from football and go to law school,[17] and he became a free agent before the 2011 season without signing with another team.[18]

Law

Allred with Secretary Castro in 2016

In 2011, Allred enrolled at the UC Berkeley School of Law. He worked as a research assistant for professor and author Ian Haney López and graduated in 2014 with a Juris Doctor degree.[19][12]

After graduating from law school, Allred worked for Battleground Texas as its Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Director of Voter Protection, overseeing the state’s first coordinated voter protection program. His responsibilities included overseeing the voter registration efforts of hundreds of volunteers and managing a comprehensive poll watcher program that helped thousands of North Texans vote. In 2016, he worked as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development‘s Office of General Counsel alongside then-Secretary Julian Castro in the Obama administration.[20]

Subsequently, Allred worked as a civil rights attorney[3] at the law firm Perkins Coie, where he was a voting rights litigator and counsel to clients including national and state political candidates and advocacy organizations.[20][21]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2018

See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 32
2018 U.S. House elections results for Texas’s 32nd congressional district

On April 21, 2017, Allred announced his campaign to challenge incumbent Republican Pete Sessions in 2018.[22] In a crowded Democratic primary that included two other Obama administration alums, Allred finished first, by 20 points, but did not get 50% of the vote.[23] In the May 22 runoff election, Allred defeated Lewisville businesswoman Lillian Salerno, receiving 69.5% of the vote.[24]

Allred faced Sessions in the general election. As of November 2016, this was considered a swing district because Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received marginally more votes than Donald Trump even as Sessions was reelected with no major-party opposition.[25] Allred described himself as a moderate Democrat.[26] U.S. Representative John Lewis rallied in support of Allred in October.[27]

On November 6, 2018, Allred was elected to the House of Representatives for the 32nd district of Texas.[28] His victory was considered an upset because Sessions had been in Congress since 1997 and represented the 32nd district since its creation in 2003.[29] Allred became the second person to represent this district and the first Democrat. Sessions had represented the neighboring 5th district, and transferred to the 32nd after the 5th was seemingly made less Republican in redistricting. As a measure of how Republican this area had been, much of what is now the 32nd had not been represented by a Democrat since 1968, when it was part of the neighboring 3rd district. Allred was one of two former NFL players to win a seat in Congress that year, along with Anthony Gonzalez.

2022

The United States Chamber of Commerce, which often backs Republican candidates, endorsed Allred, a Democrat, in the 2022 House election.[3]

Tenure

Allred visits a chip factory in Texas and pushes for the bipartisan Building Chips in America bill in 2023.

Allred was elected co-president of the Democratic freshmen of the 116th Congress (2019–2021), alongside fellow Obama administration alumna Haley Stevens.[30]

He endorsed his former boss and fellow Texan, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.[31] After Castro withdrew from the race, he endorsed Joe Biden.[32]

Allred voted for the two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump in his first impeachment in 2019.[33] He also voted to impeach him during his second impeachment in 2021 following the January 6 Capital attack.[34]

During his tenure, Allred worked with Senator John Cornyn on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.[35] He also initiated efforts to establish the Garland VA Medical Center,[36] and supported passage of legislation for new veterans’ facilities, including a VA clinic in El Paso and a spinal cord injury center in Dallas in 2022.[37] Additionally, he supported the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which secured funds for infrastructure upgrades at the Corpus Christi Port Ship Channel.[4] He also sought $241 million in earmarks for his district, for projects largely at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 2021.[38]

In 2023, the Common Ground Committee named Allred the most bipartisan member of Congress from Texas.[35]

Committee assignments

Allred while on the Committee of Foreign Affairs asks questions at a hearing on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in 2022.

Caucus memberships

2024 U.S. Senate campaign

Main article: 2024 United States Senate election in Texas

On May 3, 2023, Allred announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024, challenging Republican incumbent Ted Cruz.[42] In March 2024, he won the primary nomination for the Democratic Party.[43]

Allred’s endorsements include the Human Rights Campaign,[44] National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare,[45] and End Citizens United.[46]

In September 2024, Liz Cheney endorsed him.[47]

On November 5, 2024, Allred lost the general election to incumbent Ted Cruz by 8.6 points.[48]

Political positions

Allred meeting with the Dallas Chamber of Commerce to discuss the Inflation Reduction bill in 2022

The AFL-CIO has given Allred a 100% voting record on union related issues.[3]

Over 70% of the bills he has cosponsored have had bipartisan support.[49]

Abortion rights

Allred opposes the state abortion ban in Texas, and supports the restoration of Roe v. Wade through codification.[50][better source needed]

COVID-19

Allred emphasized the importance of vaccination against COVID-19,[51] and criticized others for spreading misinformation about the vaccine.[52] In 2021, he stated that, while supportive of the economic stimulus proposed at the time, vaccination was the most important step people could take, noting that “[n]o amount of aid of any kind is going to allow us to outspend this virus.”[51] He has also opposed overriding the Medicare and Medicaid rules around requiring health care workers to be vaccinated.[53][54]

Foreign policy

Allred holds House Foreign Affairs hearing on steps to bring Americans detained abroad back to the United States, 2023.

Israel

Allred voted in December 2023 to provide Israel with support following the Hamas attack on Israel.[55][56] He voted two months later in favor of House Resolution 894 condemning anti-Zionism as antisemitism.[57]

Syria

Allred voted in 2023 against H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[58][59]

Gun laws

In 2022, after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, he voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act; this law incentivized states to pass red-flag laws and significantly narrowed the so-called boyfriend loophole, which had allowed abusive partners to obtain guns so long as they were not married to the survivor of the abuse. He has also supported a federal assault weapons ban.[60][61]

Immigration

Allred “calls on Congress to work together” and address the issue of border security in 2024.

In 2019, he opposed deploying troops along the southern border.[62] In January 2024, Allred was one of 14 Democrats who voted for a resolution to “denounce the Biden administration’s open-borders policies”.[63][64]

LGBT rights

Allred defended his support for LGBTQ+ rights in 2024, focusing on the need for protections against discrimination based on sexual identity. He highlighted that Texans largely value personal freedom, saying, “In the Texas that I believe in and that I grew up in, we mostly want to leave folks alone.” Allred emphasized that his goal is to extend existing protections for race, gender, and national origin to include sexual identity.[65][failed verification]

Voting rights

Allred led a group of House Democrats in 2021 in sending a letter to their Senate colleagues urging them to pass the “Freedom to Vote Act”.[66] A year later, he was a lead cosponsor for the Sustaining Our Democracy Act which would upgrade voting equipment, improve cybersecurity, expand early voting, and hire and train poll workers.[67]

Personal life

Allred married Alexandra Eber on March 25, 2017.[68] They have two sons, born in 2019 and 2021.[69] Allred is related to former Texas governor James V. Allred.[70][71]

NFL statistics

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight40-yard dash20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 1 in
(1.85 m)		237 lb
(108 kg)		4.85 s4.37 s7.33 s34.0 in
(0.86 m)		9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		17 reps
All values from pro day[72]

Electoral history

Democratic primary results, 2018[73]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred 15,442 38.5
DemocraticLillian Salerno 7,343 18.3
DemocraticBrett Shipp6,55016.4
DemocraticEd Meier5,47413.7
DemocraticGeorge Rodriguez3,0297.5
DemocraticRon Marshall1,3013.2
DemocraticTodd Maternowski9452.4
Total votes40,084 100.0
Democratic primary runoff results, 2018[citation needed]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred 15,658 69.5
DemocraticLillian Salerno6,87430.5
Total votes22,532 100
Texas’s 32nd congressional district, 2018[74]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred 144,067 52.3
RepublicanPete Sessions (incumbent)126,10145.7
LibertarianMelina Baker5,4522.0
Total votes275,620 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
Texas’s 32nd congressional district, 2020[75]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred (incumbent) 178,542 52.0
RepublicanGenevieve Collins157,86745.9
LibertarianChristy Mowrey Peterson4,9461.4
IndependentJason Sigmon2,3320.7
Total votes343,687 100.0
Democratic hold
Texas’s 32nd congressional district, 2022[citation needed]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred (incumbent) 116,005 65.3
RepublicanAntonio Swad61,49434.6
Total votes177,499 100.0
Democratic hold
United States Senate Democratic primary results, 2024[76]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticColin Allred 569,585 58.9
DemocraticRoland Gutierrez160,97816.7
DemocraticMark Gonzalez85,2288.8
DemocraticMeri Gomez44,1664.6
DemocraticCarl Sherman31,6943.3
DemocraticRobert Hassan21,8552.3
DemocraticSteven Keough21,8012.3
DemocraticHeli Rodriguez-Prilliman18,8011.9
DemocraticThierry Tchenko13,3951.4
Total votes967,503 100.00

See also

References

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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas’s 32nd congressional district
2019–present		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by

 Keynote Speaker of the Democratic National Convention
2020
Served alongside: Stacey Abrams, Raumesh Akbari, Brendan Boyle, Yvanna Cancela, Kathleen Clyde, Nikki Fried, Robert Garcia, Malcolm Kenyatta, Marlon Kimpson, Conor Lamb, Mari Manoogian, Victoria Neave, Jonathan Nez, Sam Park, Denny Ruprecht, Randall Woodfin		Most recent
Preceded by

 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Texas
(Class 1)
2024
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

 United States representatives by seniority
225th		Succeeded by


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Allred