U.S. Rep. Colin Allred receives Borderland endorsements in bid to oust U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, the Dallas-born former professional football player turned Democratic congressman, got a boost of support this week from two prominent Borderland lawmakers in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
On Thursday, Allred's campaign announced that both U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and state Sen. Cesar Blanco were throwing their support behind his effort to move to the U.S. Senate.
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“For years, Sen. Blanco and Congresswoman Escobar have been champions for the people of El Paso and ensured this community was heard in both the halls of the Texas Capitol and the U.S. House of Representatives,” Allred, D-Dallas, said in a news release announcing the endorsements. “I'm honored to have their support in this race and excited to have launched my statewide Lone Star Listening Tour right here in El Paso.”
Allred is not the only Democrat mounting a campaign against Republican incumbent Cruz. Democratic Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, Texas, announced his campaign against Cruz about a month ago.
The two Democrats will face off in the primary election in March 2024.
“Colin and I were sworn into Congress together in 2019, and I’ve been proud to see his transformative leadership and hard work," Escobar said in her endorsement statement. "It’s been a privilege to work together to lower health care costs by cutting the price of prescription drugs, protect our workers and unions, and invest in the jobs of the future."
“Ted Cruz has shown us he doesn’t care about El Paso," she continued. "We need a true public servant in the Senate who will stand up for West Texas and work for every person in our state. I’m honored to endorse my friend and colleague today. And I’m inspired by his integrity and bold vision for Texas.”
Blanco offered a similar endorsement of Allred.
“I’m proud to endorse Colin Allred as our next senator from Texas," Blanco wrote in a statement. "Over the last 10 years in Washington, Ted Cruz has made crystal clear where his priorities lie: his lobbyist donors, cable news viewers, and his podcast listeners."
More: El Paso legislators describe struggles and triumphs of 88th Texas legislative session
“Here in West Texas we’ve had enough," Blanco continued. "We need leaders who will roll up their sleeves and actually pass laws that tackle the real challenges we’re facing here."
Like Escobar, Blanco cited Allred's work "lowering prescription drug costs for seniors," as well as "securing historic infrastructure investments," as proof that he can bring the same effective, bipartisan work ethic to the U.S. Senate.
Along with Escobar and Blanco, Allred has also secured endorsements from Congressional Black Caucus PAC, the American Federation of Government Employees, Foreign Policy for America and End Citizens United // Let America Vote.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred's campaign gets support from El Paso lawmakers
