“What’s the Best Thing I Can Do for Texans?” Allred Explains His Decision To Run For House Instead
U.S. congressional candidate Colin Allred sat down with Stephen A. Smith on the nationally broadcast Straight Shooter podcast, opening up about why he stepped out of the U.S. Senate race and chose to return to a congressional bid. Smith opened the conversation by pointing to Allred’s growing impact on Texas politics, praising his statewide work and his history of outperforming the top of the ticket.
Asked directly why he pivoted back to Congress, Allred said the answer came down to public service and responsibility.
“I always thought I was trying to think about this as public service, and who am I trying to serve, and how can I best serve those folks that I’m seeking to represent?” he said. A long, punishing Senate primary and a likely runoff, he explained, would not serve Texans well. “I just thought that was not going to serve the people who I’d met around the state… I was thinking about them and thinking, What’s the best thing I can do for them? And I think it’s to continue to serve, but in a different way.”
Allred added that keeping Democrats united for November, while reclaiming a congressional seat lost through gerrymandering, ultimately made the most sense for both the party and his hometown.
He also spoke openly about the emotional intensity he’s witnessing on the ground: “These are not normal times… I’ve never had so many people start crying when they speak to me. The level of emotion that people are feeling about what’s happening in our country is incredibly high.” Texans, he said, are fearful, uncertain and wondering if their leaders “actually care” about what comes next.
Allred argued that the environment in Texas has shifted dramatically from the last cycle. “This is now an election where President Trump is in office and they’re doing all kinds of wild stuff,” he said. “They’re not doing what they said they were going to do in terms of tackling affordability, corruption is through the roof… I think the conditions are going to be better in this election to see what we can get done, but we have to make that happen.”
He put a sharp focus on working families: “Folks know they’re bringing home less… they’re working harder than they ever have been, and they feel like they can’t get ahead.” Raised by a single mother, Allred said he’s deeply familiar with the stress Texans are experiencing when they “don’t know if they can afford all their groceries for the weekend.”
Smith wrapped the interview by breaking his own neutrality for a moment: “Get back to the United States Congress. We need you up in there… I’ll be damned if I ain’t rooting for some Democrats, and you’re one of them.”
