Colin Allred has defeated Rep. Julie Johnson in a Democratic primary runoff for Texas's 33rd Congressional District, a deep blue seat in the Dallas area where redistricting reshaped the political landscape. NBC News projects Allred won decisively, capturing 44 percent to Johnson's 33 percent in the initial primary on March 3 before advancing to the runoff.
The contest pitted the incumbent against her predecessor in an unusual reversal. Allred held the seat before stepping aside to challenge Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2022, a race he lost. Johnson then claimed the district in 2024 when Allred pivoted to the Senate. His decision to reclaim the House seat created what Johnson herself described as an "awkward" dynamic.
Allred's path back to Congress came after he abandoned a Senate bid last year, yielding to fellow Democrat Jasmine Crockett. State Rep. James Talarico ultimately won the Democratic nomination for Senate. Attorney Zeeshan Hafeez and business owner Carlos Quintanilla also competed in the House primary, finishing behind the two frontrunners.
Immigration emerged as a central campaign issue. Allred faced scrutiny over a prior vote supporting a Trump-backed immigration detention law, though he has since called for dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and redistributing its functions. Johnson drew fire over her ownership of Palantir stock, a data firm with connections to ICE, which she said was managed independently and sold off last year.
Allred, an attorney and former professional football player, entered Congress in 2018 by flipping a Republican-held suburban Dallas seat during that year's Democratic wave. He served in the Obama administration before his initial run for the House. Tuesday's primary defeat marked the second significant loss for Texas House Democrats, as longtime Rep. Al Green, 78, fell to fellow Rep. Christian Menefee, 38, in another race where Republican redistricting forced both incumbents to compete for the same seat.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Allred's return demonstrates how redistricting can scramble political fortunes, but his decisive margin suggests the deep blue 33rd was always his to lose."
Comments