Meet Colin
Colin Allred’s story is a uniquely Texas story. A fourth generation Texan, Colin was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom, who was a public school teacher and often worked two jobs to make ends meet. With help from his aunt and uncle, he and his mom moved to North Dallas, where his mom and aunt and uncle still live a street apart. When not at a YMCA camp, he often spent summers visiting his grandmother in Brownsville, where his grandfather was a customs officer after fighting in the Pacific with the Navy in World War II.
Colin knows the generosity of Texans because it’s what made his story possible. With the support of his teachers, coaches, and counselors at the YMCA, he was able to chase his version of the American dream. Elected Class President at Hillcrest High School, he earned a full-ride scholarship to play football at Baylor University. At Baylor, Colin deepened his faith and captained the Baylor football team while earning First Team Academic All-Big XII honors and graduating with a degree in history.
Diploma in hand, Colin was ready to attend law school before the NFL came knocking with an unexpected opportunity. After going undrafted, Colin forged a career as a linebacker before sustaining a career-ending injury in his fifth year, which required two screws and a plate be inserted in his neck. The injury had one upside though, it opened the door for him to fulfill his other dream—becoming a civil rights attorney.
From a young age, Colin always knew he wanted to help people. So after earning his law degree, Colin worked in Texas and across the country to defend our most fundamental right: the right to vote. He then went on to serve in the Obama Administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development where he worked with a great Texan, Secretary Julian Castro. Everyday at HUD, Colin worked to ensure families had access to affordable housing and were treated fairly by landlords and banks.
Seeing a need for new leadership and fresh ideas to the community that helped raise him, Colin ran for Congress in Texas’ 32nd District. With the help of a broad coalition of Texans he defeated a 22-year Republican incumbent in 2018, won reelection in his battleground district in 2020, and then won a third term in 2022.
In Congress, Colin has shown time and time again he’s more interested in getting things done than playing politics. He’s partnered with Republicans on major bipartisan initiatives such as:
- Bringing a new VA Hospital to Garland
- Strengthening the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal
- Passing an historic investment in rebuilding our roads and bridges
- Working with Texas Senator John Cornyn to pass the first meaningful gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years
Recognizing his work to bring people together, Colin is a rare member of Congress to be endorsed by both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and leading labor unions like the AFL-CIO in both of his re-election campaigns. More than 70% of the bills he’s cosponsored have been bipartisan.
Colin also knows what’s worth fighting for: like defending protections for people with pre-existing health conditions under the Affordable Care Act; ensuring women can make their own reproductive health decisions; taking on big Pharma to cap the cost of insulin and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription prices for seniors. As a former voting rights lawyer and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Colin has been a leading voice for protecting and expanding democracy here at home and abroad.
Colin believes a grateful nation has a solemn responsibility to keep our promises to our veterans and their families. In Congress, he has been a champion for getting our veterans the best care we have to offer. In addition to opening the Garland VA, Colin worked to get his bill to expand and improve VA medical facilities signed into law, including securing funding for a new VA Medical Center in El Paso and a Spinal Cord Injury Center in Dallas. He also was a leading voice to pass the PACT Act and expand care to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving.
Colin knows that Texas is a great state, and that to continue our success, we need to invest in our infrastructure and manufacturing. He was proud to help pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which will bring $35 billion to Texas creating jobs and helping us to repair our aging roads and bridges, improve our ports and airports, and expand high speed internet throughout the state among many other wins. Colin knows that Texas is already a leader in microchip manufacturing and voted to pass the CHIPS Act to create good paying high-tech manufacturing jobs right here in Texas.
Growing up without a father, Colin promised himself he would do things differently, and be an engaged and loving dad. Colin and his wife, Aly, are raising their two young boys, Jordan and Cameron, in Dallas and dad will always be his most important title. He was the first member of Congress to take paternity leave, and is a leading voice for paid family leave for all Americans.
