U.S. Representative Colin Allred, a Democrat from Dallas, is set to address the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, focusing on his support for Vice President Kamala Harris. Allred is running against Republican Senator Ted Cruz in a significant Senate race as Democrats aim to flip the Texas seat.
Throughout his campaign, Allred has maintained a degree of distance from national Democratic figures, emphasizing issues pertinent to Texas. While he has criticized Cruz in his speeches, he has not mentioned Harris directly, indicating a strategic choice to appeal to Texas constituents rather than align closely with the national Democratic agenda.
Allred stated, “I want to both run for this office the way I plan on serving in it, which is that I’m focused on Texas.” He stresses that the decision facing voters is critical, as the elected senator will serve for the next six years, extending past the term of the next president.
During the convention, Allred will be joined by other House Democrats from competitive Senate races, including Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. He will speak before Harris concludes the event.
Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from El Paso, will chair the event on Thursday, and Kim Mata-Rubio, who lost her daughter in the Robb Elementary School tragedy, is also slated to address the audience.
Allred’s relationship with Harris has been complicated; while her candidacy has energized the Democratic base, he is wary of alienating independent voters in Texas, which leans Republican. He did not participate in Harris’s recent visits to Texas and has been hesitant to fully endorse her, citing the need to appeal to a broader audience.
In a recent interview, Allred acknowledged the challenge of courting voters who may not align with Harris’s progressive policies. He remarked that his campaign aims to ensure that Texas gets the representation it deserves, speaking to constituents whose views may differ from those of the current Democratic leadership.
Recent polling indicates that Allred is just two points behind Cruz, a tighter race compared to the previous election against Beto O’Rourke, who lost by nearly three points.
Although the Harris campaign is not focusing resources in Texas, Allred remains undeterred. His campaign strategy is grounded in the expectation of minimal support from the national party. Texas Democrats have initiated a coordinated effort to unify resources for candidates across various offices.
Allred emphasized, “We have a very singular choice, which is who’s going to serve us for the next six years,” underscoring his commitment to prioritize local representation over national dynamics.