Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Former Rep. Colin Allred defeated Rep. Julie Johnson in a runoff that pitted two of the Democratic Party\u2019s rising stars<\/a> against each other in Texas\u2019 newly redrawn 33rd District.<\/p>\n Allred\u2019s victory Tuesday means he\u2019s all but certain to win the general election in the deep-blue Dallas-area district.<\/p>\n Both candidates boasted substantial bios: Johnson became the first openly LGBTQ+ representative elected in a southern state last year, and Allred is an ex-NFL player, a three-term representative and a two-time U.S. Senate candidate.<\/p>\n When the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passed a new congressional gerrymander<\/a> last year, Allred decided to drop his Senate bid and take another shot at the House, setting up a race against a sitting member who had replaced him in Congress. The two have represented about one third of the newly drawn district.<\/p>\n The race turned intoa proxy fight of March’s Senate primary<\/a>: Democratic nominee and state Rep. James Talarico endorsed Johnson, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett endorsed Allred and rallied with him last week.<\/p>\n Allred ran for Senate in 2024 instead of running for reelection for the House, eventually losing to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). He ran for Senate again in 2026 before dropping out and running for the 33rd District.<\/p>\n He attempted to make the race a referendum on corruption in politics, attacking Johnson\u2019s stock trading<\/a> and donations from corporate PACs<\/a>. Allred also benefitted from a significant name ID advantage, winning the March primary by double digits and earning the endorsements of the two other primary candidates who failed to make the runoff.<\/p>\n