First-term Rep. Colin Allred squares off against Genevieve Collins in Texas' 32nd Congressional District
- First-term Rep. Colin Allred will face Republican Genevieve Collins in Texas' 32nd Congressional District.
- The district was established in 2003 after Texas added two more congressional districts following the 2000 U.S. Census.
- Allred is the first Democrat to represent the state's 32nd Congressional District.
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First-term Rep. Colin Allred looks to defend his new seat against Republican Genevieve Collins in Texas' 32nd Congressional District this fall.
The candidates
Allred, the incumbent, is a former football player of the National Football League. After four years with the Tennessee Titans, Allred retired and became an attorney and worked as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of General Counsel during the Obama Administration. In 2018, he defeated eight-term incumbent Pete Sessions to become the first Democrat to represent the district.
Collins, Allred's Republican challenger, is the head of corporate strategy at Istation, an education technology firm. Her campaign platform includes supporting America's allyship with Israel, creating term limits for congressmen and elected officials, and preventing the implementation of socialized medicine.
During the Democratic National Convention in August, Allred was named as a "rising star." He briefly spoke in a pre-recorded message at the convention, drawing criticism from Collins.
"The party is nervous about where he stands, that they want to give him more of a spotlight," Collins said in a conference call with the Trump presidential campaign. "This district is vulnerable, and Democrats and Colin Allred both know it."
The district
Texas' 32nd Congressional District is located in the northeast region of the state in the Dallas area. The district is home to northeastern Dallas County and a small portion of Collin County. It was formed in 2003 when the state added two new districts following the 2000 U.S. Census.
The 32nd District is one of many suburban Texas congressional districts that has become significantly more favorable to Democrats as suburban and college-educated voters turn away from the GOP under President Donald Trump.
While 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney easily carried the 32nd District by a margin of over 15 points, 57% to 42%, the district backed 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by a margin of two points four years ago, according to the Daily Kos.
As Allred defeated incumbent Republican Pete Sessions by over six points in 2018, Democratic US Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke carried the district by a margin of over 10 points in his race against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.
The money race
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Allred has raised $3.7 million for his campaign, or $1.1 million more than Collins' $2.6 million. Collins has $1.13 million in cash remaining, less than half than Allred with $2.98 million.
What some of the experts say
The race between Allred and Collins is rated as "leans Democratic" by Inside Elections and "likely Democratic" by The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.