Texas’ 33rd Congressional District Democratic runoff: Who is running and what to know

By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune
May 6, 2026

In a highly unusual race between an incumbent and her predecessor in Congress, U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson is vying with Colin Allred for the Democratic nomination in a newly drawn congressional district in North Texas. 

The at times contentious competition will be decided in a May 26 runoff, after Allred and Johnson finished first and second, respectively, but failed to clear 50% in the initial round of voting.  

Allred, a former NFL player and civil rights lawyer, represented Texas’ 32nd Congressional District until he vacated the seat to run for U.S. Senate in 2024. Johnson, a former state representative, replaced him.

However, Texas Republicans last year edited that district to heavily favor the GOP, in part by moving about a third of its residents — including some of the most Democratic areas — into the neighboring 33rd Congressional District. The new TX-33, where Allred and Johnson are now running, would have gone to Kamala Harris in 2024 by almost 33 points, meaning the runoff winner will be overwhelmingly favored to win in November.

Allred initially launched a second bid for U.S. Senate last year, eyeing GOP Sen. John Cornyn’s seat. But just as Dallas Rep. Jasmine Crockett was preparing to enter the race, Allred stopped his campaign and pivoted to challenging Johnson for the redrawn 33rd District.

The contest quickly grew heated. Johnson has cast Allred as an ineffective member during his three-term stint in Congress, arguing she has been more productive, including in combating the White House’s immigration policies from her perch on the House Homeland Security Committee. Meanwhile, Allred has knocked Johnson for her investments in a federal government contractor, Palantir Technologies, that has been integral to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. 

He finished nearly 11 points ahead of Johnson in the March 3 primary and has outspent her over the course of the race.

• Population race/ethnicity: 55% Hispanic, 22.5% white, 15.8% Black, 6.3% Asian
• 2024 presidential results in district: Harris +33 (Harris 65.2%, Trump 32.6%)

• Counties in district: Dallas

• Cities in district: Dallas, Grand Prairie, Irving, Balch Springs, Cockrell Hill

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Experience:

• Played linebacker for Baylor University and Tennessee Titans
• Civil rights lawyer (worked on voter protection for 2014 gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis and voting rights litigation for Perkins Coie)
• Special assistant at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• In 2018, unseated Republican Pete Sessions to become the first Democrat to represent the 32nd Congressional District, which he served until 2025.
• Unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 and 2026, ending the second campaign to run for Congress.
• Served on the following House committees: Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans’ Affairs.

Endorsements: 

• U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas
• Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, TX-30 Democratic nominee
• Former State Senator Wendy Davis
• Texas AFT, a statewide teachers union
• Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE)

Policy stances:

• Healthcare: Supports expanding Medicaid and lowering the costs of prescription drugs by requiring Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate prices on all drugs.
• Immigration: Supports the creation of a pathway to citizenship and preserving legal status for undocumented people who entered the country as children.
• Economy: Wants to repeal President Donald Trump’s tariffs and lower utility bills by reversing the Trump administration’s cuts to renewable energy and ensuring Texas continues to lead in energy production. 

In the news:

• In North Texas, game of musical chairs culminates in primary between Democrats Colin Allred and Julie Johnson 
• Democrat Colin Allred drops out of Senate race, announces run for 33rd Congressional District
• Colin Allred blasts James Talarico over disputed TikTok allegation that he called him a “mediocre Black man”
• How a career-ending injury as an NFL linebacker paved the way for Colin Allred’s underdog Senate bid 

How to contact or learn more:
info@colinallred.com
Link to campaign site

Experience:

• Longtime trial lawyer who handles personal injury and family law cases, and mediation. 
• Currently in first term representing the 32nd Congressional District.
• Previously served in the Texas House, winning her seat by defeating a Republican incumbent in 2018.
• In Congress, serves on Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs and House Administration. 
• Served on House Appropriations, Insurance and Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence committees in the state House.

Endorsements: 

• House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats in House leadership
• State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin
• EMILYs List, a group that boosts Democratic women who support abortion rights, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, among other groups
• Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, chair of Texas House Democratic Caucus

Policy stances:

• Economy: Supports workers’ right to organize and measures to narrow pay gaps for women, working parents and federal workers in relation to their private-sector counterparts.
• Healthcare: Supports reducing prescription drug costs by giving people with private insurance access to the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare. 
• Immigration: Supports securing the border — by deploying “emerging border technologies responsibly,” for example — while preserving immigrants’ due process rights and not politicizing immigration enforcement.

In the news:

• 2024: Democratic State Rep. Julie Johnson wins congressional primary race for North Texas seat
• Nearly 50 House Dems back Julie Johnson (Punchbowl News) 
• Rep. Julie Johnson traded stocks from company that helps Trump’s deportation efforts despite anti-ICE comments 
• 2 high-profile Texas Democrats try to keep their careers alive after GOP gerrymander (Politico)

How to contact or learn more:
julie.johnson@mail.house.gov
Link to campaign site

Disclosure: Baylor University, Politico and Texas AFT have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.