Colin Allred wins Texas Democratic Senate primary, AP projects
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U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (left) and Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez meet with The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board in January. Photo: Sharon Steinmann/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Rep. Colin Allred won in the Texas Democratic Senate primary against Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, AP projects.
Why it matters: Allred will face Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in November's general election as Cruz seeks his third term in office.
- Cruz is seen as one of a few vulnerable Senate Republicans in this year's elections — even though Texas hasn't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988.
- Follow Axios' live Super Tuesday coverage.
Follow the money: Allred, a Dallas civil rights lawyer and former NFL player, has been a fundraising juggernaut. As of Feb. 14, he had raised more than $21 million for the campaign, per FEC data.
- Gutierrez, who represents an area near San Antonio, brought in just $1.3 million.
- Allred was first elected to Congress in 2018. He's been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the border.
- Gutierrez gained attention last year for his push for gun restrictions following the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead — though his bills never got a hearing in the GOP-controlled Capitol.
The bottom line: Cruz continues to be a polarizing figure, facing criticism over his response to last year's mass shooting in Allen and his visit to Cancún in 2021 during the deadly Texas winter storm.
- He beat El Paso Democrat Beto O'Rourke in 2018 by less than 3 percentage points, and the Cook Political Report has ranked the 2024 seat as "likely Republican."
