Former Rep. Colin Allred Wins Democratic Primary Runoff in Texas's 33rd District
Former U.S. Representative Colin Allred has won the Democratic primary runoff for Texas's 33rd Congressional District, defeating incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson, according to NBC News projections.
The runoff was triggered after no candidate secured a majority in the March 3 primary. Allred led the initial field with 44% of the vote to Johnson's 33%, followed by attorney Zeeshan Hafeez and business owner Carlos Quintanilla.
Allred had previously dropped out of the 2024 U.S. Senate race—where he lost to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz—and instead ran for the House seat, which was redrawn during redistricting.
Background
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Allred previously represented a different district in Congress from 2019 to 2025, having flipped a historically Republican seat in the Dallas suburbs during the 2018 'blue wave'. He also served in the Obama administration and played professional football before entering politics.
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Johnson succeeded Allred in his former district in 2024. Allred's decision to challenge her after she had replaced him created an "awkward" dynamic, according to Johnson.
Key Issues
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Immigration was a central topic in the campaign. Allred faced criticism for a past vote supporting a Trump-backed immigration detention law. He later advocated for abolishing ICE and redistributing its functions.
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Johnson held stock in Palantir, a data company with ties to ICE, according to financial disclosure reports. Johnson stated that the stocks were managed independently and were sold last year.
District Context
Texas's 33rd District is strongly Democratic, making the primary effectively the decisive contest for the general election.
Other Results
Johnson was one of two Texas House Democrats to lose their primary on Tuesday. Rep. Al Green, 78, was defeated by fellow Democrat Christian Menefee, 38, after redistricting forced them into the same seat.