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POLITICS

Colin Allred and the Turning Political Tide in Texas

Written By: Morgan Bernard

Understanding the Significance of the Senate Race in the Lone Star State?

To the outsider looking in on the political situation in the Lone Star State, US Representative Colin Allred may seem like a blue drop in a sea of red, fighting to change the tide once and for all in Texas. Closer inspection reveals that Texas, often thought of as a conservative stronghold and far-right retreat for wealthy elites sick and tired of the regulations of the coasts, is actually more purple than red. Decades of gerrymandering have warped the political perception of Texas by allowing a party of conservative elites to retain power over a population that’s as diverse and progressive as the State of Texas is large. So, when Texans say they’re hopeful that this November will bring about a much-needed change in leadership and that Colin Allred may just be the one to finally unseat the infamous Ted Cruz, perhaps the nation should listen.

Who Is Colin Allred

Colin Allred is a US Representative representing Texas’s Thirty-Second Congressional District since 2019. He’s a former NFL player of African American descent who made national headlines when he announced he was running to unseat Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Allred is a Texan through and through. He played football at Baylor University and several seasons with the Tennessee Titans before retiring in 2010 to attend law school at UC Berkeley. After a stint in private practice, Allred quickly jumped into public service after law school, working under Texan Julián Castro in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration before briefly returning to private practice. In 2018, Allred ran for office for the TX-32 seat in the House of Representatives. Riding the purple wave ignited by Beto O’Rourke’s attempt to oust Ted Cruz from the Senate in 2012, Allred successfully flipped TX-32, a historically Republican Dallas-area district, for the first time since 1997.

Understanding the Political Landscape in Texas

It’s no secret that Texas has been a red state for decades, but Texas Democrats claim the State is on the brink of flipping, and the recent election cycles prove they may be right. Voter data from the last three presidential races shows that the Republican Party’s hold on the state may be loosening, and many counties once thought of as deep red have proven to be more purple than anything else. On a recent appearance on MSNBC, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke pointed out that Joe Biden outperformed both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the Lone Star State in 2020, losing to Donald Trump by just 5.6 percent. By comparison, Clinton lost in 2016 by roughly 9 percent, and Obama fell to Romney in 2012 by 16 percent.

Colin Allred vs. Ted Cruz by the Numbers

if you’ve been paying attention to this race, things are heating up. While the initial polls showed Cruz ahead across the board, albeit by a narrow margin, the margin continues to shrink as November creeps closer. Many recent polls show the two candidates neck and neck. A recent Public Policy Polling/Clean and Prosperous America
poll of 759 registered Texas votersshowed Cruz barely ahead of Allred, leading narrowly by 47 percent to 46 percent. In a previous August poll, Cruz led the Democratic challenger by two points. Several favorable polls show Allred is gaining momentum as Cruz seems to be giving ground, leading to a recent investment of millions of dollarsby the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

What Would a Democratic Senate Victory Mean for Texas

For Texans, a Democrat victory in the Senate may signify the turning tide in the state that could even trickle up to the presidential race. With Cruz out of office and Allred in his place, Texans can expect policy stance reversals on critical issues like abortion access and gun violence. Cruz praised the Supreme Court’s dangerous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which has forced countless Texas women to travel out of state to seek the care they need. Allred, on the other hand, supports a woman’s right to choose, stating, “To deny women in emergencies the life-saving abortion care they need is cruel and outrageous, and this decision only furthers dangerous uncertainty for Texas women.” When it comes to gun violence, Cruz has failed to act in a meaningful way. Cruz claims, “There are two different approaches to try to stop criminals and mass murders. One is to target and prosecute felons and criminals trying to illegally buy guns and who use guns in the commission of a crime, while simultaneously securing our schools and hiring more police officers who are trained to prevent school violence.” Cruz has repeatedly voted against gun control, despite there being several mass shootings in Texas during his time in the Senate, including Uvalde, El Paso, and many more. Allred claims he “has always respected guns and commonsense gun ownership as protected in the Second Amendment. As a father, however, he knows it is unacceptable that his child might not be safe at school, and he believes we must reject the idea that church and school shootings are a regular part of American life.” Allred was a vocal supporter of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and supported the first federally funded study of gun violence in decades.
Many Texans feel like they’re on a sinking ship, taking in water faster than they can bail it out. With a state government that seems hell-bent on stripping the rights of women and making a mockery of the border crisis and an incumbent Senator who appears dangerously out of touch, Allred offers Texas voters a lifeline when they need it most.
TrooRa Magazine
Written by

Morgan Bernard

Photo Credit
Istock, Colinalred.com

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