US Rep. Colin Allred appeared during a campaign rally with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday in Houston. The Dallas Democrat is running against Sen. Ted Cruz for a US Senate seat. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The Dallas Democrat, locked in a tight race for US Senate, had a blunt message for Ted Cruz: ‘You have to lose your job.’
US Rep. Colin Allred made his way to Houston on Friday, joining Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally about reproductive rights just days before Election Day.
Allred has leaned into his record of defending reproductive rights throughout his campaign, reiterating his support for abortion access, federal protections for IVF and expanding access to affordable birth control.
He has also spoken out against the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Texas’ near-total ban on abortion — and criticized Sen. Ted Cruz for supporting both. Allred and Cruz are locked in a tight race for a Texas seat in the US Senate.
“I want to thank Vice President Harris for coming to Texas and shining a light on what’s happening to Texas women,” he told the crowd to chants of “beat Ted Cruz.”
“If you are singularly responsible for taking a fundamental freedom away from Texas women because you think you know better than Texas women, their families, and their doctors, and you put in place this abortion ban, and you celebrate this abortion ban … then you have to lose your job,” Allred added.
With early voting underway across the state, Allred also reminded the crowd what’s at stake as they head to the polls.
“We believe in freedom in Texas, and this is not it,” he said. “In 10 days, we are going to beat Ted Cruz, and make Roe v Wade the law of the land again.”
Allred has barnstormed across the state in the last month leading up to the election, making more than 50 stops in 22 cities and traveling nearly 5,000 miles as his campaign continues to build momentum against Cruz, narrowing the incumbent’s lead to one percentage point, according to recent polling. On Friday, Cruz appeared at a campaign stop in Austin by former President Donald Trump.
@couriertexas US Rep. Colin Allred brought his campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz to Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Houston on Oct. 25. “He’s too small for Texas,” Allred told the crowd at Shell Energy Stadium. #kamalahq #houstontx #colinallred
‘You are ground zero’
Although Harris is not projected to win Texas, her campaign is hoping to boost Allred’s candidacy.
“I am counting on you to send him to the United States Senate so we can get right to work,” Harris told the crowd.
If Trump returns to the White House, she claimed, the state’s abortion ban is a sign of what would follow nationwide.
“Texas, you are ground zero in the fight for reproductive freedom,” Harris said.
“For anyone watching from another state, if you think you are protected from Trump abortion bans because you live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York, California, or any state where voters or legislators have protected reproductive freedom, please know: No one is protected,” she added.
Early voting continues through Nov. 1 and election day is Nov. 5. For more election information visit the Courier Texas voter hub.
