Colin Allred is second Democrat to enter U.S. Senate race in Texas, joining retired astronaut and fighter pilot to win Republican seat
On Tuesday, former Dallas Congressman Colin Allred launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination, aiming to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn — or potentially Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is considering a primary challenge.
Second Senate run for Allred
This marks Allred's second consecutive campaign for U.S. Senate. He spent much of last year in campaign mode, ultimately losing to Sen. Ted Cruz by 8.5 percentage points in 2024. Now, he's back on the trail.
In his campaign video, Allred said, "You deserve someone who will fight for you. I get it. Real change might feel impossible, but I'm not giving up." He compared his political persistence to his earlier efforts to play in the NFL.
Targeting Cornyn and Paxton
Allred's message is sharply critical of both Cornyn and Paxton, whom he accuses of corruption and inaction. "Texans are working harder than ever all to be able to afford less," he said. "And the people 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."
Democrats believe that if Paxton wins the GOP nomination, they may have their best chance in decades to flip a statewide seat.
Virts offers outsider alternative
Allred joins retired U.S. Air Force Col. Terry Virts, a former F-16 fighter pilot and NASA astronaut, who launched his campaign last week. In his announcement, Virts said, "It's time for new leadership. I'm Terry Virts, I'm running for U.S. Senate and I'm ready for my next mission."
Virts, who moved to Texas 25 years ago, told CBS News Texas that Democrats need a new strategy to win. "What we need to do is not do the same thing over hoping for a different result," he said. "Texas has for the last century — if you lose a Senate race, you don't win again."
More candidates may enter
Virts also took a veiled swipe at Allred, saying, "If Democrats think that we can run Chuck Schumer's candidate and win in Texas — it's been 30 years. That's not going to happen."
Other potential Democratic candidates include former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin. On the Republican side, Rep. Wesley Hunt of the Houston area is also said to be considering a run.
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