Colin Allred

Colin Allred
Born	Colin Zachary Allred 15 4, 1983
Birthplace	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, civil rights lawyer, former professional football player
Known for	U.S. Representative for Texas's 32nd congressional district (2019–2025)
Education	Baylor University (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD)
Children	2
Website	[colinallred.com Official site]

Colin Zachary Allred (born April 15, 1983) is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, and former professional football player who served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 32nd congressional district from 2019 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Allred defeated 11-term Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in the 2018 midterm elections, becoming the first Democrat to represent the district in decades. Before entering politics, Allred played as a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. After his football career ended, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and went on to serve in multiple roles within the Obama administration, including positions at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Allred was re-elected to the House in 2020 and 2022 before forgoing a fourth term to challenge Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the 2024 U.S. Senate election in Texas. He lost that race but outperformed the Democratic presidential ticket in Texas by 5.5 percentage points. In December 2025, Allred announced he would run for the newly drawn 33rd Congressional District based in Dallas.

Early Life

Colin Zachary Allred was born on April 15, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. He was raised in North Dallas, where he attended Hillcrest High School. Growing up in Dallas shaped Allred's connection to the community he would later represent in Congress. His mother, a public school teacher, raised him in modest circumstances, and Allred has spoken publicly about how his upbringing informed his views on opportunity and public service.

At Hillcrest High School, Allred distinguished himself as a football player, earning recognition that would lead to a collegiate athletic career. His talent on the field opened doors to higher education, and he went on to attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he played football for the Baylor Bears.

Education

Allred attended Baylor University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree while playing football for the university's team. His time at Baylor served as a springboard to professional football, but after his NFL career ended, Allred pursued a legal education.

He enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree. His legal training focused on civil rights law, and his education at Berkeley positioned him for roles in the federal government and later in private legal practice. During and after law school, Allred developed an interest in voting rights and civil rights issues that would become central to his later political career.

Career

Professional Football

After graduating from Baylor University, Allred entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He signed with the Tennessee Titans, where he played as a linebacker wearing number 56. Over the course of his NFL career, Allred recorded 46 total tackles during his time with the Titans. He stood 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 242 pounds during his playing days.

Allred's professional football career spanned four seasons with the Titans. While he was not a marquee player, his time in the NFL gave him a platform and name recognition that would later prove useful in his transition to public service. After being released by the Titans, Allred made the decision to leave professional football and pursue a career in law, a choice that redirected the trajectory of his professional life.

Legal Career and Obama Administration

Following his retirement from professional football, Allred attended the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he earned his JD. After completing his law degree, he entered public service, taking on multiple positions within the Obama administration.

Allred first served at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he worked on housing policy issues. He subsequently held a position at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, gaining experience in federal legal affairs and government operations. These roles provided Allred with a detailed understanding of federal policy and governance that informed his later work as a member of Congress.

After his time in the Obama administration, Allred worked as a civil rights attorney. He was employed at the law firm Perkins Coie, where he focused on voting rights litigation and civil rights matters. His work in voting rights law aligned with the policy interests he would later champion as a congressional candidate and officeholder.

2018 Congressional Campaign

In April 2017, Allred announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas's 32nd congressional district, seeking to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Pete Sessions. Sessions had held the seat for 11 terms and was a powerful figure in Republican congressional politics. The 32nd district encompassed the northeastern corner of Dallas as well as many of its northeastern suburbs.

Allred ran in a competitive Democratic primary, which culminated in a May 2018 runoff election. He defeated Lillian Salerno to win the Democratic nomination. The primary victory positioned Allred as the Democratic challenger in what was considered one of the most competitive House races in the country during the 2018 cycle.

In the November 2018 general election, Allred defeated Pete Sessions, flipping the district from Republican to Democratic control. The victory was part of a broader wave of Democratic gains in suburban districts across the country during the 2018 midterm elections. Allred's campaign drew on his biography — a former NFL player turned civil rights attorney — and focused on issues such as healthcare, particularly protections for pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act.

Following his election, Allred was chosen by his fellow incoming Democratic members as freshman class co-president of the New Democrat Coalition. This selection signaled his alignment with the coalition's centrist, pragmatic approach to governance.

U.S. House of Representatives (2019–2025)

Allred took office on January 3, 2019, representing Texas's 32nd congressional district. He served three terms in the House, winning re-election in 2020 and 2022.

During his time in Congress, Allred positioned himself as a moderate Democrat, consistent with his role in the New Democrat Coalition. He focused on issues including healthcare access, infrastructure, veterans' affairs, and voting rights — the latter drawing on his background as a civil rights attorney.

Allred appeared and spoke on multiple occasions on the floor of the House and in committee settings. He addressed subjects ranging from domestic policy to national security matters over the course of his three terms.

His tenure coincided with a period of significant political turbulence, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and contentious debates over voting rights legislation. As a representative of a competitive suburban district, Allred navigated these issues while maintaining an appeal to a politically diverse constituency.

2024 U.S. Senate Campaign

Rather than seek a fourth term in the House, Allred announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 Texas Senate race, challenging Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. The race attracted national attention as one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the 2024 election cycle. Allred's candidacy was seen as a test of whether a Democrat could win statewide in Texas, building on the narrowing margins observed in previous cycles.

Cruz ultimately won re-election, defeating Allred in the November 2024 general election. However, Allred outperformed the Democratic presidential ticket in the concurrent presidential election in Texas by 5.5 percentage points, a result that suggested stronger-than-expected support for his candidacy relative to the national party's standing in the state.

Allred's successor in the 32nd congressional district was Julie Johnson, who took office on January 3, 2025.

2025–2026: Senate Bid and Congressional Pivot

In July 2025, Allred announced he would challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 election. However, in December 2025, he withdrew from the Senate race and announced instead that he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the newly drawn 33rd Congressional District, a Dallas-based seat created through redistricting.

The decision to pivot from a statewide Senate race to a congressional district campaign was driven in part by changes in Texas's political map following redistricting. The new 33rd district encompassed much of the Dallas area, territory familiar to Allred from his previous service representing the 32nd district.

In early 2026, Allred became involved in the broader Texas Democratic political landscape when he publicly endorsed U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. His endorsement came amid a public dispute with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, after reports emerged that Talarico had allegedly made a racially charged comment about Allred. Allred called on Talarico to apologize for the alleged remark, characterizing it as offensive. The incident attracted significant media coverage and became a notable episode in the 2026 Texas Democratic primary season.

Personal Life

Allred was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and has maintained deep ties to the city throughout his career. He has two children. Allred has spoken publicly about the influence of his upbringing on his values, including his mother's work as a public school teacher and the community environment of North Dallas in which he was raised.

After his NFL career and legal education, Allred returned to Dallas, where he lived while serving in Congress and during his subsequent political campaigns. His personal connection to the Dallas area has been a consistent theme in his political career, informing his focus on local issues affecting the communities he has represented.

Recognition

Allred's election to Congress in 2018 was covered extensively as part of the national narrative of the Democratic wave in suburban districts during the midterm elections. His defeat of Pete Sessions, a senior Republican who had served 11 terms, was considered one of the most significant upsets of the cycle.

His selection as freshman class co-president of the New Democrat Coalition reflected recognition by his peers of his leadership capabilities among the incoming class of Democratic members.

Allred's 2024 Senate campaign against Ted Cruz garnered national attention and significant fundraising, further raising his profile within the Democratic Party. While he did not win the race, his performance relative to the Democratic presidential ticket in Texas — outrunning it by 5.5 percentage points — was noted by political analysts as indicative of his personal electoral strength in the state.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Allred remains an active figure in Texas Democratic politics. His career trajectory — from professional athlete to civil rights attorney to federal officeholder — has been cited as an example of the diverse backgrounds from which American political leaders emerge.

His 2018 victory over Pete Sessions contributed to the broader shift in suburban political dynamics that reshaped the U.S. House of Representatives during the Trump era. The 32nd district's flip from Republican to Democratic control was emblematic of changes occurring in educated, diversifying suburban areas across the country.

Allred's 2024 Senate campaign, though unsuccessful, demonstrated the continued competitiveness of Democratic candidates in Texas statewide races and provided organizational infrastructure and voter data that other Texas Democrats have sought to build upon. His decision to re-enter congressional politics in 2025 by seeking the newly created 33rd district seat reflects his ongoing engagement with electoral politics and the Dallas-area electorate.