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Texas Democrats force runoff between pioneering LGBTQ+ current House rep and ex-congressman

Rep. Julie Johnson and former Rep. Colin Allred will face each other once more before voters know who will stand for election in November.

julie johnson and colin allread

Rep. Julie Johnson and former Rep. Colin Allred ran for the Democratic nomination for the new 33rd Congressional District in Texas.

Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Election update: James Talarico defeats fellow LGBTQ+ ally Jasmine Crockett in Texas Democratic primary

U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson and former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred are heading for a runoff election after neither received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for Texas’s 33rd Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ. The race is one of several closely watched Texas contests triggered by mid-decade redistricting that scrambled the region’s political map.


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With nearly 74 percent of votes counted by 10:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Allred led Johnson 44.8 to 33.7 percent, according to NBC News. Voters will cast their ballots again on May 26 to determine a winner.

Johnson is the first out LGBTQ+ person from Texas and the broader U.S. South elected to Congress. She told The Advocate in a recent interview that she looked forward to continuing to represent the area in Washington, D.C., after she was drawn from the 32nd District, which she currently represents.

Related: Colin Allred targets first LGBTQ+ congresswoman from Texas for House seat as Jasmine Crockett runs for Senate

Related: The South’s first out LGBTQ+ congresswoman is fighting a GOP effort to cut her out of Congress

The race pits two well-known Democrats from the area against each other and has become one of the most unusual intraparty matchups of the 2026 election cycle. Allred previously represented the congressional seat Johnson now holds. He vacated the position to challenge Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2024 Senate race, which he lost.

Johnson later won the election to the House seat Allred left behind.

Related: Julie Johnson just made history as the first LGBTQ+ person ever elected to Congress from the South

Related: Texas is gerrymandering the only LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South out of her seat

Before coming to Congress, Johnson served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, where she helped establish the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus and frequently spoke out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation advanced by Republican lawmakers.

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