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Hey y’all, it’s Colin. If you have a minute this Black Friday, I’d really like to share the “why” behind my decision to run for Senate here in Texas. This is a longer post, but I hope you’ll read to the end because it’s important.
Why I fight for Texas
Whether you’ve just found your way over to my corner of Substack or you’re an OG reader and supporter, I think there’s value in helping you understand who I am and where I come from because these things underscore everything I do.
I’m a fourth-generation Texan, born in Dallas and raised by a single mom who was a public school teacher and took on extra jobs to make ends meet. Thanks to my family and a strong support system of teachers, coaches, and the folks at our local YMCA – I earned a full-ride football scholarship to Baylor and went on to play in the NFL.
After that, I fulfilled another dream, earning my law degree and becoming a civil rights lawyer. I worked in the Obama administration, and then I went on to serve in Congress and represent the community that raised me, working to create opportunities for kids and families, protect affordable health care, and bring better-paying jobs to our state.
But I’m not done yet. Senate Republicans like John Cornyn are failing us. He votes in lockstep with the MAGA agenda, even when he knows the administration’s policies – like gutting Medicaid and allowing ACA tax credits to expire – harm Texas families.
His GOP primary opponent, Ken Paxton, is no different. He has already been impeached by the Texas House for corruption and abuse of power. They’re both bowing to the whims of one man, Donald Trump, instead of listening to the millions of people they serve. Texans deserve better, and I’m ready to be a voice for ALL of us.
Why I’m in this race
You may know that last year, I ran for Senate against Ted Cruz – and although we fell short in that race, I’m incredibly proud of the grassroots movement we built and the fact that we outran the presidential ticket by nearly 200,000 votes, which was the most by any Democratic Senate campaign in the entire country.
After last year’s race, I took some time off to think about what’s next. I spent a lot of time with my family and in my community here in Dallas, and unfortunately, I saw things quickly go from bad to worse.
Costs continued to skyrocket due to Trump’s tariffs and chaotic economic policies…
Mass layoffs and funding cuts put critical programs like Social Security at risk…
Trump and his allies in the Senate pushed a disastrous budget that threatened to rip health care away from over a million Texans…
People’s fundamental rights came under attack as the administration moved to implement its MAGA agenda…
And no one in our government was doing a thing to stop it.
All the while – even months before I entered this race – polls showed I was the Democrat with the best chance at challenging the GOP for this seat.
I knew too much was at stake not to try again.
Why I believe we can win
Entering this race was not a decision I took lightly.
It requires a massive commitment to build a winning campaign. You need to be all in: ready to pound the pavement across thousands of miles, to talk (and more importantly, listen) to hundreds of people a day, and to stand up for what’s right and speak truth to power in some really tough situations.
Luckily, I’ve never been one to do anything halfheartedly – whether it was going undrafted and fighting to make it in the NFL, becoming a civil rights lawyer and defending our right to vote, or coming from behind to defeat a 22-year GOP incumbent in my first race for Congress (a race where the pundits said I initially had just a 10% chance of winning).
I’m 100% in this race – for my kids’ futures and yours – and I truly believe that I’m the best person for the job and that this campaign, with thousands of grassroots supporters like you standing with it, has the best chance of winning here in Texas.
And there’s real data to back that theory up. After multiple polls (we’re up to 4 in total!) showed me ahead of my likely GOP opponent, Ken Paxton, experts at The Hill ranked this one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities in the entire country. That’s a huge testament to the grassroots movement we’re building.
Why I need your help
Even though we’ve built incredible momentum early, we still have a long, tough fight ahead, and it’s going to take a lot of resources to capitalize on this golden opportunity to flip Texas blue for the first time in more than three decades.
In a race as competitive as this one, especially in a state as big as Texas, resources will be the difference between winning and losing. Resources will get our ads on the air in some of the most expensive media markets in the country. Resources will ensure I can keep traveling all over the state, connecting with people in their communities. And resources will help us fight back against the attacks we know are coming our way.
Last year, the GOP spent over $135 million to defeat me. Already, my MAGA opponents and the PACs supporting them have spent over $40 million, and Republicans are so scared of losing this seat that more dark money is pouring into Texas every day.
What’s more: I don’t take shady corporate PAC donations, because – crazy as it may seem – I believe politicians should be accountable to the people they serve, not billionaires or corporations. That means I’m 100% counting on grassroots donors like you to keep up our momentum and power this campaign to victory.
So please, if you believe our families deserve better than the failed leadership we’ve gotten from Senate Republicans, if you’re ready to see a Democrat represent the state of Texas in the U.S. Senate for the first time in a generation, I am humbly asking: Will you rush a donation to help me reach my end-of-month goal before my deadline on Sunday, Nov. 30 so we can finish what we started last year and bring real leadership to Texas? [ [link removed] ]
Thank you for reading to the end of this post and for being a part of our grassroots movement. We have an incredible chance to win this race if folks like you stick with us.
For Texas,
Colin
Paid for by Allred for Texas
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