HOUSTON — One of the hottest races in the Texas primary on Tuesday could come down to a showdown between a U.S. congressman and a state senator.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas and State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio are battling for a chance to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November. They lead a crowded field of candidates in the Democratic primary.
A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs survey released on Feb. 1 showed 40% of registered voters would choose Allred compared to 12% who favored Gutierrez. At that time 38% were undecided.
“The real question will be, can Allred get to 50% plus one on March 5 and avoid a May runoff?” Mark Jones, a UH Hobby School of Public Affairs research associate and professor at Rice University, told KHOU 11 in February. “Right now, I think Allred is very well positioned to win enough votes to avoid the runoff.”
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Looking ahead to November, the poll showed Cruz leading Allred 48% to 39%, compared to 48% to 38% over Gutierrez.
Democrats are eyeing Cruz's seat as a possible flip. In 2018, he survived a surprisingly close race against Beto O'Rourke and won by only 2.5 percentage points.
More on Colin Allred
Allred is the son of a school teacher and single mom who raised him in Dallas.
He played football for the Baylor Bears and was picked up by the Tennessee Titans after going undrafted.
After five years in the NFL, Allred got his law degree and became a civil rights attorney.
Allred served in the Obama Administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
As a political newcomer, Allred pulled off an upset of Rep. Pete Sessions in 2018 who had spent more than two decades in Congress.
Allred sat down with KHOU 11 News in an exclusive interview over the weekend and explained why he believes he's the best person to go head-to-head with Cruz.
"I think he's a threat to the state I know. He's been one of the most divisive Senators in the country," Allred told us. "He's spent his time in the Senate pitting us against each other. I've spent my time in Congress bringing us together."
The moderate Democrat believes abortion rights will mobilize voters at the polls and he's pledging to codify Roe v. Wade if elected to the Senate.
Allred and his wife Aly have two sons.
More on Roland Gutierrez
Gutierrez is the son of Mexican immigrants who was born and raised in San Antonio.
He attended the University of Texas at San Antonio and got his law degree from St. Mary's.
Gutierrez was a small business owner and immigration lawyer before he was elected to the San Antonio City Council.
He served in the Texas House for 13 years and was elected to the state senate in 2021.
Gutierrez has been a leading voice in the state capitol for tougher laws to help prevent gun violence, especially after the Uvalde school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
"Loose Republican gun laws are killing our kids," Gutierrez told KHOU 11 News anchor Marcelino Benito. "They [Republicans] are killing women on reproductive freedom. Our candidacy is about people's pain."
Gutierrez and his wife Sarah have two daughters.
Also on the Democratic ballot for Senate are Mark Gonzalez, Carl Oscar Sherman, Meri Gomez, A. "Robert" Hassan, Thierry Tchenko, Heli Rodriguez Prilliman and Steven J. Keough.
On the Republican side, incumbent Ted Cruz is facing off with Holland "Redd" Gibson and RE (Rufus) Lopez.
KHOU 11 also reached out to Sen. Ted Cruz for an interview before the Primary Elections. He has not responded.