(UnitedVoice.com) – Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was once one of the most disliked lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) even made a joke that if someone were to kill the senator on the floor of the Senate and the trial was in the upper chamber, the murderer wouldn’t be convicted. Fortunately for the Texas lawmaker, his Republican colleagues have warmed up to him. Now, he’s up for reelection again, and his opponent has just been named.
The Texas Democratic primary took place on March 5. Rep. Colin Allred beat state Senator Roland Gutierrez to become the party’s nominee to take on Cruz this fall. Allred is a former NFL player who made headlines when he broke with his party over the situation on the US-Mexico border.
Allred was a linebacker in the NFL and played for four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. After leaving the gridiron, Allred went to the US Berkeley School of Law and obtained a law degree. He worked for the administration of former President Barack Obama, serving as a special assistant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
After his time with the Obama administration, Allred worked as a voting rights litigator at the Perkins Coie law firm. He ran for the US House in 2017 and won his election. He ousted longtime Republican Pete Sessions, who had served in Congress since 1997.
The US Chamber of Commerce supported Allred for the reelection in 2022. He was only one of four Democrats to get an endorsement from the organization. The AFL-CIO has applauded him for voting with unions 100% of the time.
Although Allred has criticized the Biden administration for the issues on the border, he has also pushed against the Texas bill that bans sanctuary cities. He has also called former President Donald Trump’s border wall “racist.”
Allred faces a tough battle in the Senate race against Cruz. However, in 2018, Democrat Beto O’Rourke came within 2.5% of unseating the senator. Allred could come out on top.
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