Colin Allred, a former congressman from Dallas, has officially announced his decision to drop out of the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. Instead, he will pivot his campaign efforts towards the newly drawn 33rd Congressional District in Texas. Allred previously ran as the party’s nominee for the Senate in 2024, but faced defeat against incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz.
In July, Allred entered the race for Texas’ other Senate seat for the 2026 elections. However, his candidacy became increasingly complicated due to the September entry of state Rep. James Talarico and an anticipated run from U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a fellow Democrat from Dallas. Allred announced his withdrawal from the Senate race on the last day for candidates to file for the 2026 Texas primaries.
In his statement, Allred emphasized his desire to prevent a divisive primary and maximize the Democratic Party's chances in the upcoming November elections. “In the past few days, I’ve come to believe that a bruising Senate Democratic primary and runoff would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers Paxton, Cornyn, or Hunt,” he said.
Allred will now focus on the 33rd Congressional District, which is one of the few viable seats left for Democrats in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. This district was recently redrawn to favor Republican candidates, as sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, about a third of the residents in the new district are from Allred’s former congressional district, which he represented for six years after flipping the seat in 2018.
Currently, the 33rd District is represented by U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey. However, the new district boundaries have eliminated Veasey's political base in Fort Worth. Allred is reportedly considering a run for the 30th District if Crockett officially enters the Senate race, as sources close to the matter indicate.
To secure the nomination for the 33rd District, Allred will face off against Rep. Julie Johnson, who succeeded him after he vacated his seat to run for Senate. Johnson has been representing the 32nd Congressional District since January but is now also running in the newly configured 33rd District. This change results from a mid-decade redistricting effort by Republicans.
In his statement, Allred highlighted the importance of the 33rd District to him personally, saying, “The 33rd district was racially gerrymandered by Trump in an effort to further rig our democracy, but it’s also the community where I grew up attending public schools and watching my mom struggle to pay for our groceries.” He also noted his accomplishments in Congress, including securing over $135 million in federal resources for affordable housing, public transportation, and healthcare.
Allred’s withdrawal from the Senate race concludes a campaign that lasted just over five months. His entry was initially marked by high name recognition from his previous statewide run. Polls indicated he was favored over Attorney General Ken Paxton in the general election, but he ultimately lost to Cruz by 8.5 points.
As the Senate race heated up, the entry of Crockett and Talarico posed significant challenges for Allred, both of whom have garnered national attention and substantial fundraising success. An October poll indicated that Allred was trailing in a hypothetical primary against these candidates.
With Allred’s decision to leave the Senate race, the odds now favor a resolution in the March primary for the Democratic nomination, rather than a more contentious May runoff. This shift allows the eventual nominee to focus their resources on the general election against the GOP candidate emerging from a three-way primary among U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.
However, the upcoming congressional primary is likely to be competitive, as it pits Allred against his predecessor, Johnson. The dynamics are further complicated by Johnson’s recent endorsement of Talarico in the Senate race, making her an influential player in the 33rd District contest. The stakes are high, and both candidates are expected to campaign vigorously as they vie for the support of voters in this crucial area.