Democratic Senate hopefuls in Texas went head-to-head Sunday in a debate that highlighted their differing approaches to taking on Ted Cruz. Lead candidate, Dallas Congressman Colin Allred, faced San Antonio State Senator Roland Gutierrez and Desoto State Representative Carl Sherman on stage, with labor union AFL-CIO as the host. Allred, who flipped a red house district blue in 2018, boasted his bipartisan credentials stating, "I’m the most bipartisan member of the Texas delegation," according to KXAN.
Gutierrez, throwing punches at Allred, positioned himself as the true progressive on the stage. He criticized Allred for opposing President Biden's border policies, declaring during the debate, "We don’t need to adopt Trump and Cruz’s causes. We don’t need to build walls," as reported by KXAN. Sherman, however trailing in the polls, pitched himself as the unity candidate, saying, "I don’t like politics, but I love people. I love the Lord. And I love policy," signalling his intent to shape policy that cares for those often neglected.
The debate also featured sparring over national issues like immigration, health care, and foreign policy. Allred defended his vote against Biden's immigration stance by stating, "The status quo is unacceptable. We do need to have a comprehensive immigration forum." Gutierrez and Sherman expressed their support for more progressive stances including Medicare for All and broadened abortion rights, respectively. Gutierrez's support for dramatic measures like abolishing the filibuster and expanding the Supreme Court, while Allred stopped short, saying he would "not let the filibuster stand in the way," as per The Texas Tribune.
