Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred has launched a campaign for the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, pledging to be a voice for Texans wracked by higher costs of living and what he views as a “rigged” political system.
“Everything’s backwards. Folks are working harder than ever and they still can’t get ahead, but the folks who are cutting corners and cutting deals are doing just fine,” Allred told The Dallas Morning News in an exclusive interview, on Monday. “I know Washington is broken and I’m going to be laser-focused in this campaign on getting back to some of the basics, on lowering costs, on fighting for health care, for fighting against corrupt politicians like John Cornyn and Ken Paxton.”
In a campaign kickoff video launched Tuesday, Allred stressed his commitment to working Texans.
“Texans are working harder than ever, not getting as much time with their kids, missing those special moments, all to be able to afford less,” Allred said in the video. “And the people that we elected to help — politicians like John Cornyn and Ken Paxton — are too corrupt to care about us and too weak to fight for us.”
Political Points
Allred, 42, is staging his second statewide campaign launch in two years. Last year he lost a Senate challenge against incumbent Ted Cruz by nearly 9 percentage points. It was a disappointment for Democrats hoping Allred would propel them to their first statewide contest since 1994.
The March Senate primaries are expected to be competitive. Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, is challenging Cornyn in a GOP primary that could also draw other contenders. Several hopefuls are considering running in the Democratic primary.
The Dallas Democrat said he’s learned from the loss to Cruz. His time away from Washington, spent primarily at home raising his two young sons, gave him a different view of the political scene. he said.
“I’m hoping that I can show folks that I’m not just running again, but that I have a plan for what I think we can do to address a broken and rigged system, that I’m going to campaign harder than I’ve ever campaigned, that I’m going to spend time having conversations with ordinary folks and talking about what’s going on their lives,” Allred said.
Former Senate candidate Colin Allred walks to the stage for a Q&A session hosted by Principles First at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.(Liz Rymarev / Staff Photographer)
A former NFL linebacker, Allred is on a political playing field that’s considerably different than in 2024.
Historically, the party in power typically takes losses in midterm elections. Democrats hope Republicans face headwinds next year. There’s also the prospect of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton beating Cornyn in the March Republican primaries. Many analysts consider Paxton a weaker general election nominee than Cornyn.
Still, Texas has proven to be reliably red.
Allred said he doesn’t get “bogged down in the past” or in his party’s past futilities. He does hope to maintain elements of his successful 2018 campaign that flipped Dallas County’s Congressional District 32 from red to blue.
“Folks are just looking for someone who can offer a little bit of hope that things can change,” Allred said. “I know that we can’t continue like this, and that we need somebody who’s going to be laser-focused on lowering costs and fighting for us.”
At least three other big name Democrats — U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin are considering Senate campaigns. Terry Virts, a retired NASA astronaut, has already announced his Democratic campaign for Senate.
“I’ve told them I was going to make my own decision, not based on anyone else,” Allred said. “Everyone else has to make their own decisions, and I respect that.”
Allred campaigned against Cruz as a problem-solving bipartisan. His endorsements included former Republican U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Cheney campaigned with Allred in North Texas.
Allred criticized former President Joe Biden on issues like border security, and he didn’t seriously campaign with Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, until a Houston rally that featured Beyoncé just days before the election.
Though he raised $94 million in campaign cash, some critics have pointed out Allred did not hold many rallies across Texas that could have elevated his name recognition.
He said he’ll campaign differently. Not being obligated to stay around for congressional votes gives him the chance to make stronger connections with voters.
“I’m a football player. I think in football, we sometimes learn more from a loss than we do from a win, and so I’ve analyzed the tape,” Allred said.
“I don’t just want to tell [voters], but also to show them that I’m going to be on their side,” he said.
Allred said his beliefs have not changed, and he still thinks Democrats and Republicans can work together. Resisting President Donald Trump, Cornyn and Paxton require toughness, he said.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (left) is seeking reelection. He faces a challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton (right) in the 2026 Republican primary. This is a composite of two Associated Press photos.(The Associated Press / AP)
“I’m not a very partisan guy, but I am a fighter, and I will fight for what I know is right for our state,” Allred said. “Nothing is going to change in terms of my approach, about thinking that there are things that we can do together …, but I also think that what we’ve seen from John Cornyn right now … or certainly Ken Paxton, are folks who won’t stand up for Texas at all, even if it’s not in our state’s interest.”
Allred said he’s the best choice for the Democratic nomination.
The News reported last week that Allred, Castro, O’Rourke and Talarico met in May to discuss developing a statewide slate and the best choice to run for Senate.
Other contenders say Allred’s launch doesn’t impact their plans. O’Rourke has had more than a dozen town hall meetings, including a San Antonio rally last week that featured Castro and Talarico.
Four of Texas’ leading Democrats, former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, State Rep. James Talarico, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and Beto O’Rourke met last month to sort out which of them is the best choice to run for the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn and to potentially develop a slate that would contend for other statewide offices.(Tom Fox | Juan Figueroa | Ashley Landis | Elías Valverde / Dallas Morning News)
“They are all good people, all friends of mine,” Allred said. “All are folks who are working hard for our state and for our country.”
Early polls show Allred would be the stronger general election candidate.
A Texas Public Opinion Research survey had Allred, at +7, more favorable than any Texas politician in the poll.
Rice political scientist Mark Jones, who co-authored the Texas Southern poll, said Allred would be tough to beat in the primary.
“If he’s all in, it’s going to be tough for anybody to raise money against him in a primary, as well as to break the narrative that he’s the clear frontrunner,” Jones said before Allred’s announcement.
But some Democrats questioned whether Allred is the best choice.
Dallas’ Morgan Cox, a major fundraiser for Allred’s Senate campaign, said he’s lost confidence that Allred can win in 2026. Allred in 2024 squandered the resources and opportunity that should have translated into a better showing against Cruz, Cox said.
“If he could have scaled a campaign to the size of Texas the way he did in 2018 in his congressional race, it would have been game over,” Cox said. “But he failed miserably.”
“I truly believe that James Talarico is better poised to take on Ken Paxton than Colin Allred is. Full stop,” Cox added.
Allred said he has spent most of the last seven months with his wife and sons, which has allowed for a renewal of purpose, and fueled his desire to stay in the fight.
“My kids are the reason why we do almost everything, and I just feel really strongly that we can’t hand off a country like this to them, one that’s just divided, that’s seemingly so much at risk,” Allred said. “It both reminded me of those foundational things on why our democracy is a relay race. It’s one generation passing it on to another.”
His family brings out the fight in him, he said.
“It also brought back the linebacker in me, which is sort of the impulse to protect and to stand up,” Allred said. “I think about what John Lewis used to tell us all the time, if you see something that’s not right, you say something, do something, get involved. Get in good trouble, and I think that we all have to listen to that impulse.”
Texas Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaks during a watch party on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)(Tony Gutierrez / AP)