“What’s the best thing I can do for Texans? And I think it’s to continue to serve, but in a different way.”
DALLAS — U.S. congressional candidate Colin Allred joined Stephen A. Smith on his nationally broadcast Straight Shooter podcast for an in-depth conversation about his decision to return to Congress, the stakes of the moment, and the challenges facing working families across Texas.
Smith opened by recognizing Allred’s impact on the political landscape, from his Senate race last year to his record of outperforming the top of the ticket. He asked Allred directly why he chose to exit the Senate race and run for Congress instead.
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“I always thought I was trying to think about this as public service, and who am I trying to serve, and how can I best serve those folks that I’m seeking to represent?”
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“And the way it was working out with the Senate race was that it was going to become a long, drawn-out, brutal not only primary, but in Texas, if you don’t get 50% of the vote, you have to go to a runoff. That’s two months later.”
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“And so I just thought that was not going to serve the people who I’d met around the state, who I developed a trust with and a relationship with, who, when I would speak with them, they would open up to me about their lives, tell me all the things they’re concerned about. I was thinking about them and thinking, What’s the best thing I can do for them? And I think it’s to continue to serve, but in a different way.”
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“To make sure the party stayed united and had a chance to be successful in November, but that I could serve my hometown in Congress when we’ve lost congressional seats because of this gerrymandering.”
Allred also spoke candidly about the urgency he’s hearing from Texans:
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“These are not normal times… I’ve never had so many people start crying when they speak to me. The level of emotion that people are feeling about what’s happening in our country is incredibly high.”
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“I think folks are scared, and I think they’re wondering, does anybody see me? Does anybody actually care about me or what’s going to happen next?”
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“How can I best represent my state, the folks that I grew up around in my hometown, and then also make sure that we don’t have a party that spends all this time tearing itself apart and then has no ability to effectively run a general election.”
Allred described how dramatically the environment has changed since the last cycle, noting that Texans are feeling the consequences of failed leadership and unchecked corruption. He explained:
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“This is now an election where President Trump is in office and they’re doing all kinds of wild stuff. They’re not doing what they said they were going to do in terms of tackling affordability, corruption is through the roof, and people are seeing this and and so I think the conditions are going to be better, you know, in this election to see what we can get done, but we have to make that happen.”
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“Folks know they’re bringing home less… and they feel like they can’t get ahead… it’s very real. They’re working harder than they ever have been, and they feel like they can’t get ahead.”
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“To me, the focus has to be on working people and what they’re going through… because I was raised by a single mother… and I know what folks are going through right now when they don’t know if they can afford all their groceries for the weekend.”
Smith closed by telling Allred:
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“I really appreciate your time. Happy to have had you, you know you’re welcome back. I wish you luck. I hope you win. Get back to the United States Congress. We need you up in there. No doubt about it, I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat, but damn it, I’ll be damned if I ain’t rooting for some Democrats, and you’re one of them. So all the best to you. I wish you nothing but the best.”
Watch the full interview here
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