Colin Allred facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colin Allred
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 32nd district
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Pete Sessions
Succeeded by	Julie Johnson
Personal details
Born	Colin Zachary Allred (1983-04-15) April 15, 1983 (age 42) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Alexandra Eber ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2
Education	Baylor University (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD)
Football career
No. 56
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:	Hillcrest (Dallas, Texas)
College:	Baylor
Undrafted:	2006
Career history
Tennessee Titans (2006–2010)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 46
Player stats at PFR

Colin Zachary Allred (born April 15, 1983) is an American politician, lawyer, and former professional football player. He served as a U.S. representative for a part of Texas from 2019 to 2025. This area includes parts of Dallas and nearby cities like Garland and Richardson.

Before becoming a politician, Allred played as a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League (NFL). After four seasons, he left football to study law. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Later, he worked for the government during the Obama administration. He was part of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Allred is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2018, he won an election against a long-serving politician named Pete Sessions.

In 2024, Allred ran for the United States Senate in Texas against Ted Cruz. He lost this election. Because he ran for the Senate, he did not run again to be a U.S. representative. Julie Johnson took his place.

Early Life and Education

Colin Allred was born in Dallas, Texas. His father is Black, and his mother is White.

He went to Hillcrest High School in Dallas. There, he played baseball, basketball, and football. He earned a scholarship to play college football at Baylor University. He played as a linebacker for the Baylor Bears. In December 2005, Allred graduated from Baylor with a degree in history.

Professional Career

Football Player

Allred (#56) playing defense during Tennessee Titans training camp in 2008

The Tennessee Titans signed Allred in 2006. He played for the Titans from 2007 to 2010. During these four seasons, he played in 32 games and made 46 tackles.

In 2010, during a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Allred got a serious neck injury. After this, he decided to stop playing football and go to law school.

Lawyer and Public Servant

Allred with Secretary Julian Castro in 2016

In 2011, Allred started studying at the UC Berkeley School of Law. He graduated in 2014 with a law degree.

After law school, Allred worked for an organization called Battleground Texas. He helped people register to vote and made sure elections were fair. In 2016, he worked for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This was part of the Obama administration, where he worked with Secretary Julian Castro.

Later, Allred became a civil rights lawyer at a law firm called Perkins Coie. He worked on cases to protect people's voting rights.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2018 Election

In 2017, Allred announced he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He wanted to challenge the current Republican representative, Pete Sessions. Allred won the Democratic primary election.

In the main election, Allred faced Sessions. This area was considered a "swing district," meaning it could vote for either party. On November 6, 2018, Allred won the election. This was a big surprise because Sessions had been in Congress since 1997. Allred became the first Democrat to represent this district.

2022 Election

In 2022, Colin Allred ran for re-election to the House. He was endorsed by the United States Chamber of Commerce, which usually supports Republicans. Allred won his re-election campaign.

What He Did in Congress

Allred visits a chip factory in Texas and supports the "Building Chips in America" bill in 2023.

Allred was chosen to be a co-president for the new Democratic members of Congress in 2019. He supported Joe Biden for president in 2020.

He voted to impeach (formally accuse) President Donald Trump two times. The first time was in 2019, and the second time was in 2021 after the January 6 Capitol attack.

During his time in Congress, Allred worked with Senator John Cornyn on a law about gun safety. He also helped to get new medical facilities for veterans in Texas. For example, he supported a new VA clinic in El Paso and a spinal cord injury center in Dallas. He also helped secure money for improvements at the Corpus Christi Port Ship Channel. In 2021, he asked for funds for projects in his district, especially at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

In 2023, a group called the Common Ground Committee said Allred was the most bipartisan (meaning he worked well with both parties) member of Congress from Texas.

Committees He Served On

Allred asking questions at a hearing about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in 2022.

As a U.S. Representative, Allred was part of several important committees:

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Groups He Joined

Allred was also a member of several groups in Congress, including:

• Congressional Black Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition
• Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group
• Supply Chain Caucus (Co-chair)
• Future Forum (Co-chair of Communications)

2024 U.S. Senate Campaign

On May 3, 2023, Allred announced he would run for the United States Senate in 2024. He challenged the Republican senator, Ted Cruz. In March 2024, he won the Democratic primary election.

He was supported by groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Even Liz Cheney, a Republican, endorsed him in September 2024.

On November 5, 2024, Allred lost the election to Ted Cruz.

Political Ideas

Colin Allred's votes in Congress often matched the ideas of the Biden Administration.

Gun Laws

Allred supports "common-sense actions" to prevent dangerous people from getting weapons. He supports universal background checks and red-flag laws. After a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, Allred voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This law helps states pass red-flag laws and makes it harder for abusive partners to get guns. He also supports a ban on certain types of assault weapons.

COVID-19

Allred has always said that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is very important. He has spoken out against false information about the vaccine. He believes that vaccination is the most important step to deal with the virus.

Immigration

Allred wants a "practical approach" to fix the immigration system. He believes it's important to "secure our border" using new technologies. In 2019, he did not support sending troops to the southern border.

Israel

Allred voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Syria

In 2023, Allred voted against a plan that would have removed U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Personal Life

Colin Allred married Alexandra Eber on March 25, 2017. They have two sons, born in 2019 and 2021. Allred is related to James V. Allred, a former Texas governor.

Images for kids

• 

  Allred (#56) on a defensive play during Tennessee Titans training camp in 2008

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Colin Allred para niños

• List of African-American United States representatives
• List of American sportsperson-politicians