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
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 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.
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."
