Rep. Colin Allred to face Ted Cruz after Texas Democratic primary win
Newsy
Democrats are eyeing the race as a potential route to flip a U.S. Senate seat in their favor come November.
Texas Rep. Colin Allred is the projected winner of the state's Democratic Senate primary, locking him into what's expected to be a closely watched fight against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz come November.
Allred was considered a front-runner in both fundraising and polling ahead of the Super Tuesday race, which landed him with almost 60% of the vote among eight other Democrats.
The former NFL player and three-term congressman from Dallas had touted himself as the most electable candidate of the crowded field, while his runner-up, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, ran as a more progressive voice in the race. The attorney, who garnered 17% of the vote, had been the most vocal about gun control in the state, particularly after the Uvalde school shooting in his district.
As for Cruz, the two-term senator officially snagged the GOP nomination away from two other Republican hopefuls earlier Tuesday after an uncompetitive race — a stark difference from Cruz's last reelection campaign in 2018, which ended in a less-than-three percentage point win over Democrat Beto O'Rourke.
That was the closest the Democratic Party has come to winning a statewide race in Texas in 30 years, and despite a lack in momentum since, the party is hoping this will finally be the year voters come through to secure a flip.
