Colin Allred

Colin Allred was born and lives in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Hillcrest High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and a J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law.

Before being elected to Congress, Allred played football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tennessee Titans. After leaving the NFL, Allred earned a law degree and began practicing law. He then worked in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration.[2][3]

Texas' 33rd Congressional District

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Campaign websiteAllred's campaign website stated the following:Meet Colin AllredColin Allred was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom who was a public school teacher, and thanks to those same public schools, his coaches, teachers and the folks at the YMCA, Allred succeeded as a standout student-athlete.He earned a full-ride football scholarship to Baylor University, where he became Captain of the football team. After college, he deferred his acceptance to law school to play in the NFL where he was a linebacker for five seasons. A career-ending injury then opened the door for him to fulfill his other dream – becoming a civil rights attorney.

After law school, Allred worked to protect voting rights across the country and in Texas to combat voter suppression and make sure that no eligible voters were denied access to the ballot box.A Record of ResultsAfter serving in President Obama’s Administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Allred moved home to Dallas. He ran for Congress and defeated an entrenched Republican incumbent.

In Congress Colin delivered real results, including over $135 million in federal dollars for critical public transportation, health care, affordable housing and law enforcement – all within the 33rd Congressional District. He also led the effort to open a new VA hospital in Garland and two other VA facilities in Dallas and El Paso. Allred was repeatedly recognized as the most bipartisan member of the Texas delegation and a consensus builder who was willing to work with anyone who shared his dedication to helping hardworking families gain the same opportunities he had to chase the American dream.Fighting for TexansNow Colin is running for Congress to fight for Texans who work hard and play by the rules but never feel like they can win.

He’s fighting for the people who keep Texas running. Folks like his mom, who worked two jobs and still held her breath every time she swiped her debit card at the grocery store.

Colin’s campaign isn’t about partisanship. It’s about doing the hard work and showing up for Texans no matter what.

Colin and his wife, Alexandra, live in Dallas where they are raising their two young children.— Colin Allred's campaign website (January 13, 2025)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

U.S. Senate

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased January 24, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My story is a uniquely Texas story. I am a fourth-generation Texan, and I was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom who was a public school teacher. With help from my aunt and uncle, my mom and I moved to North Dallas, where my mom, aunt and uncle still live a street apart. When not at a YMCA camp, I often spent summers visiting my grandmother in Brownsville, where my mom was raised and where my grandfather was a customs officer after fighting in the Pacific with the Navy in World War II. After graduating from Hillcrest, I earned a full-ride scholarship to play football at Baylor and trained for the NFL draft in Houston. My wife, Aly, and I are proud to be raising our family here in Dallas and I could not be more excited about my boys’ future as Texans. People from across this state have shaped me into who I am today and I know we are so much better than Ted Cruz makes us out to be.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

In Texas we care about freedom, and Texans' freedoms are under attack by extreme politicians like Ted Cruz. I will fight to protect the freedom to access the health care you need, including access to an abortion. The freedom to vote. And the freedom to get ahead so every Texan can access the job training, education and opportunities they need to get a good job and chase their version of the American dream.I was raised by a single mom, who was a public school teacher. When I think about service, I think about how we can work to help families like mine growing up. To strengthen Texas, we must build the ladders of opportunity so everyone has the chance to chase their dreams. Through smart investments in affordable child care, early childhood education, job and skills training and expanding health care coverage we can increase productivity and grow our economy in a way that works for everyone. By making investments in our families, our workers and our infrastructure, we can strengthen our economy and ensure we are prepared to compete with anyone – while also lowering our debt.It’s clear that we cannot afford six more years of Ted Cruz and his divisive agenda that is setting Texas and America on a dangerous course. But I know who we are, and I know we can still work together to find common ground and do big things. In my time in Congress, I have shown that we can create jobs by investing in our infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing; we can move forward on gun safety legislation; we can protect and expand access to affordable health care. All of this is possible when we put aside partisan politics and work together. That is something Ted Cruz has no interest in. He does not care about delivering for Texas, he only cares about himself.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a voting rights attorney, I believe that voting rights and issues of our democracy are foundational to all other freedoms – whether that is the freedom to vote, the freedom to access an abortion or the freedom to live free from discrimination.

Additionally, I didn’t know my father. So when my wife Aly and I decided to have kids I knew I would do it differently. I was the first Member of Congress to take paternity leave after the birth of both our sons. Every American should have access to paid family and medical leave, so they can be there for their family, just like I was. I am proud to be part of the Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group to get this done, and ensure every American can access paid family and medical leave.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I am honored to have served alongside my mentor and friend, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. I would not be where I am if it were not for Congresswoman Johnson and the doors she opened for a new generation of leaders like myself.

Congresswoman Johnson was a force in Congress, and though she never shied away from standing up for her values, she also worked across the aisle to get things done and deliver for Dallas and Texas. I saw this up close and personal serving with her on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she was a fierce advocate for securing federal investment for transportation needs here in North Texas. There are few parts of our state that she has not made a mark – from improving the VA, to fighting for civil rights to transportation investment to her work to pass the Chips and Science Act as Chair of the House Science Committee.

Texas lost a giant when we lost Congresswoman Johnson, and I will always carry with me the lessons she taught me as I seek to serve all Texans in the U.S. Senate.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I am running for Senate to give Texans the honest, pragmatic leadership we deserve. I’m proud to have been named the most bipartisan member of the Texas Congressional Delegation, and I have shown during my time in Congress that I can deliver for Texans. Whether that is fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act, and with it protections for folks with preexisting conditions, capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month and lowering the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare or passing billions of dollars in investments in infrastructure as well as the CHIPs Act to invest high-tech manufacturing.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

The ability to build big coalitions, and put aside partisan politics, and get things done. I am proud to have earned the endorsements of both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest business group in America and the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union in America, in my previous campaigns. This shows that I have the ability to bring folks together and deliver real results.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I was raised by a single mom who was a public school teacher. Texans need someone in the Senate who is working as hard she did, as hard every Texan does. We don’t need a Senator who is only interested in dividing us on whatever the latest culture war is that day. I will work with both parties to deliver, and I will always put Texans first.

What do you think of the filibuster?

The filibuster needs reform. We cannot allow Senate process to get in the way of protecting our fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to vote and the freedom to access abortion, that is why I support carve outs for issues of civil rights and personal freedoms.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

When you are raised by a single mother like I was, you know that working Texans need results and that they don’t have time for theoretical ideas that will never become law. To deliver results for Texas you have to work with Republicans and Democrats to get things done. I have done just that during my time in Congress and I will take that same approach to the U.S. Senate.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Texas AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, LiUNA, Human Rights Campaign, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, End Citizens United // Let America Vote, League of Conservation Voters and the College Democrats of America.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Special interests have too much power in Washington. It’s why I don’t take a dime of corporate PAC money. I am also proud to champion reforms that would root out corruption, reduce the influence of special interests and dark money, strengthen the right to vote and end partisan gerrymandering.

Colin Allred did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom who was a Dallas public school teacher. Thanks to my family, coaches, teachers and the good folks at the YMCA, I was able to succeed. With support from my community, I went to Baylor, played in the NFL and became a civil rights lawyer, served in the Obama Administration and now I represent my home in Congress.

I got to live my version of the American dream. This current public health crisis has held up a mirror showing us how much work we have to do to ensure that the American Dream is available to everyone. High quality, affordable health care is still out of reach, and our economy isn't working for many North Texans. We still need a national plan to beat this virus.

I've spent my first term in Congress putting North Texans first. I stood up against attacks on our health care, and defended protections for those with pre-existing conditions. I led the charge to pass a bipartisan trade agreement with Mexico and Canada to support thousands of North Texas jobs, and spearheaded the opening of the Garland VA Medical Center - which is already serving veterans across our community.

To get real results for North Texans, I've put aside party politics, which is why 70 percent of the bills I've co-sponsored are bipartisan. We've made progress in the last couple years by bringing folks together. But we still have so much work to do to make sure everyone can achieve their version of the American dream.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We have lost 200,000 American lives and counting to COVID-19, and it didn't have to be this way. The way we beat this virus is with a national plan to protect our public health that is mirrored on the state and local level. In Congress, I voted for the CARES Act to ensure families get the relief they need during this crisis and I also helped pass the HEROES Act which expands state and local relief funds to help first responders, and provide more economic relief to help cover new COVID-19 related expenses for 60 days, including purchasing PPE for veterans and their caregivers. I will keep working in Congress to ramp up testing, tracing and treatment, deliver economic relief to North Texans and support our local governments. Texas is home to the largest uninsured population, and that number has risen since the spread of COVID-19. Everyone should have access to high quality, affordable health care, regardless of income, medical history or employment. That's why I led the effort to protect our health care and fought back against the Trump Administration's lawsuit that would gut the ACA. We must stabilize health care markets and protect the Affordable Care Act. Texas should expand Medicaid and extend coverage to Texans who need help. I've also stood up to pharmaceutical companies and helped lead the effort to pass sweeping legislation that would lower prescription drug prices across the board. Health care is my top priority and I'll continue this work in CongressI ran for Congress in 2018, because Washington wasn't working for North Texans. Party politics blocked progress, and as a result, issues like affordable health care, building an economy that works for everyone and ensuring a good public education for every child were set back. That's why when I was elected, I put people over politics, and worked across the aisle to bring real results for North Texas. Seventy percent of the bills I co-sponsored are bipartisan, including a bill to ensure new parents get much-needed financial help after the arrival of their new baby and a new USMCA trade deal. I led a bipartisan coalition to open the Garland VA Medical Center. I've been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of my bipartisan record.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a voting rights attorney, I know firsthand the realities of voter suppression. Our democracy only works when everyone is heard, and our government must return to working for the people that elect them-not the powerful special interests that fund their campaigns.

​I was an early leader, calling for sweeping reforms to root out corruption, get big money out of politics and ensure every eligible voter can easily exercise their constitutional right to vote. I helped lead the charge to pass H.R. 1 the For The People Act and introduced the Know Your Polling Place Act, which would require voters to be notified of changes in their polling places. In Congress, I have been a champion of legislation reinstating and modernizing the Voting Rights Act, to halt new voter suppression laws that have had a clear impact on voter turnout.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1) Healthcare

2) Education

3) Jobs and the Economy[5][6]

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

In 2014, I was the Dallas/Fort Worth Voter Protection Director for the Wendy Davis campaign. In that role, I oversaw the voter registration efforts of hundreds of volunteers and a comprehensive poll watcher program that helped thousands of North Texans vote who might not have been able to otherwise. As a voting rights litigator, I have been a part of lawsuits that have challenged restrictions to the right to vote across this country. As an appointee in the Obama Administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, I helped protect and expand critical programs like FHA backed mortgage assistance and Section 8 vouchers, and efforts to end housing discrimination against the formerly incarcerated.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[6]

Campaign website

Allred’s campaign website stated the following:

Health Care

Access to healthcare is a fundamental right—one that too many of our fellow North Texans have been denied for too long. According to the Census Bureau, nearly 1 in 5 Dallas County residents—over 500,000 people—lack health coverage, and Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. Many North Texans who do have insurance still must contend with high premiums, high deductibles, high drug prices, and huge out-of-pocket costs.

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Despite the progress we have made under the ACA, for millions of Texans access to healthcare is still out of reach. And, Pete Sessions and Donald Trump have repeatedly and intentionally worked to sabotage the ACA, worsening out-of-control healthcare costs. As a direct result of their actions, estimates show that premiums in 2019 will increase by almost $3,500 for a North Texan family of four, nearly $3,800 for a North Texan couple over the age of 55, and over $1,000 for an individual 40-year-old. We can, and must, do better in this country. Healthcare isn’t a luxury item you can go without—it’s a matter of life and death. We must address the current healthcare crisis in Texas by expanding coverage through competition and lower costs and tackling the cost of prescription drugs so that no North Texan has to ration their medications.

In Congress, I will work to:

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Protect and expand our healthcare markets: The ACA was an enormous step forward in expanding access to healthcare and ending abusive practices by insurance companies. No longer can insurers treat you differently because of a pre-existing condition or impose an annual or lifetime cap, and parents can now keep their children on their health insurance plans until they’re 26. Pete Sessions voted to repeal the ACA and go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage to the estimated 324,300 North Texans who have a preexisting condition. I will support efforts to expand coverage and protections under the ACA, and oppose attempts to undo these important achievements, including President Trump and Pete Sessions’ efforts to sabotage it.

Lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies: Current federal law prohibits Medicare from directly negotiating drug prices. This policy has been good for giant pharmaceutical companies, but it has not served the American people. Medicare is the largest buyer in the prescription drug market, accounting for nearly one third of all pharmaceutical buying. We should allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly, which would leverage its enormous purchasing power and lower the costs of prescription drugs for all Americans. ​

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Create an option to buy into Medicare: In order to expand coverage and lower costs, we must introduce more competition into the healthcare market by offering every American an option to buy into Medicare. Medicare’s low overhead costs and established provider networks can form the basis for an affordable, quality alternative that will compete with private insurers, driving down costs for everyone. Under this plan, existing sources of health insurance, including employer-provided insurance, will not be disturbed, and North Texans will be able to choose whether they want to keep their current insurance or buy into Medicare. This approach could also expand upon the services that Medicare already provides by covering areas that Medicare currently does not, such as pediatrics and maternity care.

Protect and expand Medicaid: Medicaid provides critical healthcare to children, the disabled, and the elderly. In 2016 alone, Texas received over $23 billion in federal Medicaid funding for these at-risk populations. This funding, which Pete Sessions voted to cut, is a lifeline for many Texas families that I will work to protect in Congress. I will also seek to expand Medicaid, which could result in 2.5 million more Texans with healthcare coverage.

Economic Growth and Security

Every generation of Americans must rise to the task of protecting and passing on our greatest legacy: the American Dream, the idea that our children will have a better life than we did and that we can retire with dignity.

These uniquely American ideas have spread across the world, but here at home, the path into the middle class is narrowing and the American Dream is disappearing for too many. I have lived my version of the American Dream here in North Texas and am committed to restoring this fundamental promise for future generations by fighting for good paying jobs and an economy that works for everyone.

In Congress, I will fight to:

Protect Medicare and Social Security: Medicare and Social Security are promises we’ve made to our seniors that should be honored. These are earned benefits that our senior citizens count on after they have worked to pay into these programs throughout their lives. I’ll always fight to protect Medicare and Social Security because North Texans should be able to retire with dignity.

Invest in job training programs for the 21st Century: A shrinking world and increasing automation have dramatically changed the workforce needs of the modern American economy, but our workforce development is stuck in the past. Here in North Texas, we have a shortage of skilled labor, which is holding back our economy and raising costs for businesses and consumers. We can provide our businesses with the skilled workforce they need and create good paying jobs by investing in vocational training in our high schools and community colleges, creating and promoting apprenticeship programs, and finally addressing the cost of higher education.

Ensure equal pay for equal work: It is outrageous that in the 21st Century women still make much less than their male counterparts for comparable work. And the pay gap is even wider for women of color. In Congress, I will support passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it easier for employees to discover and seek redress for unequal pay, and bolster the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s investigative resources to root out pay discrimination.

Rebuild our crumbling infrastructure: Every year 100,000 people move to North Texas, bringing dynamism but also straining our already aging infrastructure. We need a new national commitment to rebuilding and updating our infrastructure here in North Texas, and across the country, in order to create millions of jobs and provide the foundation for our businesses and workers to thrive.

Empower our small businesses: Small businesses are the drivers of new jobs, innovation, and are the cornerstones of our communities. We must make North Texas that best place in the country to start and grow a small business by cutting red tape holding back business creation, expanding access to capital and early investment, and offering tax breaks and incentives for small businesses instead of huge handouts for the largest corporations.

Raise the minimum wage: We not only need more jobs--we need better paying jobs. Raising the minimum wage puts more spending power in the hands of workers, improving the economy and reducing inequality. I will fight to raise the minimum wage, in graduated steps, and index it to inflation—because if someone works a full week’s work in this country they should be able to take care of their family.

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Enact paid family leave, and expand child care programs: No family should have to choose between having a family and having a career. Paid family leave would allow Texans to take time off when they have or adopt a new child, when you or a family member gets sick, or when a family member is deployed in the military. Helping to make child care affordable for working families will enable more parents to continue to work full-time.

Education

I had the chance to follow my NFL career with a career as a civil rights lawyer because of the public education I got in the Dallas Independent School District. For so many other kids like me, a quality education is the first essential building block to ensuring equal opportunity in our country. Every child has the fundamental right to a quality education—regardless of where they grow up, whether their family is rich or poor, or the color of their skin. Education liberates the mind and opens the door to a better life. But today, we are not doing enough to make sure every child has access to the education they deserve.

That is why in Congress I will not only fight efforts to cut back on public education, I will work to expand investment in kids in education—so that every child in America has a shot at the American Dream.

In Congress, I will work to:

Provide Universal Pre-K: Every American child should be able to attend pre-K. Investment in early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make as a country. Research shows that access to early learning is critical for the development of a child over their lifetime. Access to pre-K is also important for families looking for affordable, safe childcare. Today, however, just half of 3- and 4-year-olds in America are enrolled in pre-K. Together, we can make sure every child gets the start they deserve.

Support our teachers: We need to recruit, train, and retain the best teachers in the world. The most important factor in a child’s development in class is the quality of their teacher. Teachers are responsible for our most valuable resource, our kids, and we as a nation must do more to support them. That means steering our best and brightest into teaching by offering incentives like scholarships and loan forgiveness, paying them a competitive salary once they are hired, and supporting them throughout their career.

Rebuild the decaying infrastructure of our public school system: Our children deserve better than to go to school in buildings that are falling apart around them. We must provide our schools with the resources they need to bring their buildings into the 21st century, provide up-to-date textbooks to all kids, ensure Internet access in every classroom, and harness the new generation of digital technology to bring the world into our classrooms.

Close the education achievement gap: To ensure we continue to move forward as a nation we must close the education achievement gap for lower income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and students for whom English is not their first language. Too many of our kids are falling through the cracks in schools that are more segregated now than they were 50 years ago. To address these issues we need to identify these underserved populations and direct resources to help them, so that every child has a chance to succeed.

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Bolster vocational and apprenticeship programs, and work toward debt-free college: We need to prepare our kids for the jobs of the 21st Century. In our ever-shrinking world that means they need to have access to the skills training they need to be able to compete in the global economy. We can do that by providing every student with an opportunity to learn computer science and coding, reintroducing vocational training into our high schools, and make debt-free college a reality for families earning less than $125,000.

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