TYLER, Texas — With Election Day just 72 days away, the race to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate is moving forward.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred campaigned for the U.S. Senate seat with a stop in East Texas Sunday. He is facing off against incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
Allred was campaigning in East Texas Sunday at the Liberty Baptist Church in Tyler. Over 250 people were there as the congressman hopes to gain strong momentum in flipping the Senate seat.
“I don't see a Democrat or Republican. I just see a Texan, and I think that I want to have a conversation with Texans about where I think we can go together,” Allred said.
The former NFL defensive lineman is running a Texas offensive coordinated campaign.
“I played defense my whole career. We're going on offense now,” Allred said. “To bring the good news to fellow Texans, you don't need to be embarrassed of your senator. You can get a new one.”
Allred said he's focusing on a bi-partisan campaign to help put Texans first, hoping to convince undecided voters.
“I'm the most bipartisan Texan in Congress, and I'm proud of that,” Allred said. “I don't pursue bipartisanship just for that being the end state. That's not the goal. The goal is to get things done."
That's something he says voters don’t see from his opponent.
“That's my biggest issue with Sen. Cruz,” Allred said. “I see somebody who has no interest in that part of the job who, every time is a bipartisan bill to try and fix a problem is nowhere near it, or who actively votes against it."
He emphasized the challenge of passing bipartisan legislation in Congress while criticizing Cruz.
“We can't afford to have a senator for six more years who will put himself over Texans,” Allred said.
Allred focused on key issues he hopes to address if elected, including the state’s infrastructure.
“We're the fastest growing state out there. We have so many needs for our infrastructure,” Allred said. “We're gonna create thousands of jobs in the process, and we're gonna train the next generation of the workforce to work in these jobs.”
He also highlighted the importance of women's reproductive rights and criticized Texas' abortion ban.
“This is not freedom,” Allred said. “So I promise you this, when I'm in the United States Senate, I'll restore women's right to choose.”
Allred also promised to prioritize border security, Medicare, and Social Security if elected to the U.S. Senate.