Colin Allred’s campaign to return to Congress has hit another roadblock, as the Dallas chapter of the organization representing Black Democrats in his state have endorsed his opponent. This development compounds the deficit Allred has in endorsements for the race and adds to the concerns about Allred’s campaigning.
Black Democrats back Allred’s white primary opponent
Rep. Julie Johnson, who is competing against Allred to represent the newly redrawn 33rd District of Texas, announced Tuesday that she had secured the endorsement of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats of Dallas County. “Proud and grateful to earn the endorsement of the @txblackdems Dallas County,” Johnson posted. “We’ve built a broad coalition because we’ve been in the fights together, not just during election season, but when it mattered most. This campaign is about strength, unity, and results. We organize together, we fight together, and we rise together. Onward.”
The nod from the Black Democrats for Johnson adds to her advantage in endorsements over Allred, with over 100 officials and organizations supporting Johnson. These include dozens of members of Congress, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of New York, and dozens of state and local elected officials as well. Johnson, who is the first openly LGBTQ+ congressional representative for Texas, is also endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign, as well as other organizations like EMILYs List and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Allred’s campaign page does not have an endorsement section.
Adding to Allred’s campaign woes
Even with Johnson’s lead in endorsements, her getting the nod from the Dallas County Black Democrats over Allred is potentially a big blow for his campaign. “Oh man, this is a shiner for Colin Allred that Julie Johnson, who is white, got the support of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats,” journalist Eric Michael Garcia wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The guy burned every bridge.”
“LMFAO the TEXAS BLACK DEMS caucus endorsed the WHITE WOMAN over the BLACK MAN,” read another response to the endorsement.
For some, losing the endorsement of the Dallas County Black Democrats confirms questions many voters have about the quality of Allred’s campaigns. Allred recently chimed in regarding a controversy in which Texas Senate candidate James Talarico allegedly called Allred a “mediocre Black man.” After Allred called out Talarico over the comment and endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the U.S. Senate race, Talarico responded, claiming that he had not mentioned Allred’s race but instead said that Allred had run a mediocre campaign. Allred, who represented the 32nd District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025 and lost to Republican Ted Cruz in the 2024 Senate race, was initially Talarico’s opponent in this Senate race. However, Allred dropped out of the race as Crockett entered, opting instead to run against Johnson for the newly redrawn 33rd district. The Texas Tribune reported that Allred’s decision was controversial; Allred did not inform Johnson ahead of time that he was entering the race against her. Johnson, in turn, said of the race, “This new district deserves representation that has been present in the tough moments, including throughout the redistricting fight, instead of parachuting back when another campaign doesn’t work out,” according to The Texas Tribune.
The endorsement by Dallas County’s Black Democrats coincided with the start of early voting in Texas, giving Johnson a boost as voters began going to the polls. With questions already swirling about Allred’s campaigns, this message sent by the Black Democrats’ endorsement is another potential setback to Allred’s plans to return to Congress.
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