Democratic Rep. Colin Allred wins Senate primary in Texas, setting up match with Cruz

Politics Mar 6, 2024 12:00 AM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player who broke with his party over President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, won his Senate primary to propel an underdog campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

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Allred fended off his biggest Democratic challenger, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who became an outspoken voice for stricter gun laws after the Uvalde school shooting and courted the party’s left wing.

Cruz, who faced no major primary opponent, officially locked up the GOP nomination for a third term Tuesday.

Allred, 40, has cast himself as a bipartisan bridge-builder in deeply red Texas while looking ahead to a November matchup with Cruz. One of the most dramatic examples of the Dallas congressman rebuffing fellow Democrats came in January, when he signed onto a Republican resolution criticizing the Biden administration’s immigration policies.

Allred advances to a tall task: trying to become the first Texas Democrat in 30 years to win a statewide race. If elected, he would be Texas’ first Black senator.

Cruz’s last reelection ended in a narrow victory against Beto O’Rourke in 2018 during a strong year for Democrats nationally.