Colin Allred tops Julie Johnson in Democratic runoff

Key Points:

• Former Rep. Colin Allred defeated incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson in the Democratic runoff for Texas’ 33rd Congressional District, following redistricting that shifted district boundaries and political dynamics.
• The redistricting forced a rare race between predecessor and successor, with the 32nd District becoming solidly Republican and Johnson moving to the left-leaning 33rd District, previously represented by Marc Veasey who is not seeking reelection.
• Allred, a civil rights lawyer and former NFL player, previously served in Congress from 2019 to 2025 and made multiple Senate bids before returning to run for Congress to avoid a Democratic runoff and strengthen party chances in November.
• The campaign grew contentious, focusing on immigration policies, with Allred criticizing Johnson’s ties to Palantir and Johnson attacking Allred’s record on immigration, including his break from the party on certain border-related bills.
• Allred received significant support from an AI-focused super PAC and endorsements from Rep. Jasmine Crockett, while Johnson was backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.