Houston businessman Christopher Williams had never heard of Colin Allred, the Tennessee Titans linebacker who became a lawyer, then a congressman from Dallas, and who now is senatorial candidate. He’s not the only one. Mr. Allred is a stranger even in historically Black areas like Houston’s Third and Fifth Wards, where he needs enthusiastic turnout, and among Democrats in the state’s suburbs, to succeed. But now Mr. Williams is all in for him to defeat the oleaginous Raphael “Ted” Cruz. Mr. Allred recently moseyed into Mr. Williams’ barbershop to visit with the folks and introduce himself and ask for support in his David versus Goliath fight to return Cruz packing back to CanCún, Mexico. As he told of his challenging childhood, the son of a single, public school teacher mother, his football scholarship to Baylor University, about playing in the NFL, and working in the Obama administration before being elected to congress, he made disciples. “I wasn’t going
to vote before y’all came,” a reformed Mr. Williams said to Mr. Allred.
Trying to reinvent his image, all his opponent has to say for himself is, “They’re going to tell you I am a horrible creature who devours kittens at sunrise, which is ridiculous.” He was joking about his odious image even before he and his fellow Republicans accused migrants of eating pets. “Everyone knows you eat kittens at night.” Mr. Cruz, reputedly the most despised man in the senate, is the son of a Cuban immigrant who decries the perilous “surge” of migrants at the Texas-Mexico border. He embraces the wall dividing us from our ally and trading partner, and accuses Mr. Allred of calling it “racist.” He denies climate change, wants to increase the retirement age, privatize Medicare, and he voted to increase prescription prices. He dishonored his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States with his schemes to deny President Biden’s unquestionable triumph, and he condemns the Voting Rights Act.
Mr. Allred knows Texas can lead on renewable and clean energy, and create well-paying jobs protect the planet for future generations. He defies right-wing plans to minimize benefits and privatize Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher system. He is an advocate for small businesses and obtaining improved wages for workers. Statewide, Democrats have failed to conquer Texas for 30 years. We have never chosen a Black senator but “Change can happen quickly in Texas,” says Mr. Allred, who is Black, “What we have to do in Texas is embrace who we actually are, which is that diversity and that complexity that comes with it, instead of being afraid of it.” Nationally prominent Republicans are supporting Mr. Allred, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who is endorsing Mr. Allred as passionately as Mr. Williams is. Their contest is likely to be one of the closest in state history.
Colin Allred – and Texas — needs your vote. Early voting is between October 21st – November 21st. Election Day is November 5th.
[Photo: colinallred.com]
