The Very Crowded Democratic Primary Race For TX32
Navigating the TX32 Democratic primary. Who's in the Running?
Colin Allred (TX32) announced he would run for the U.S. Senate, and Democrats flocked to run for his seat. We have a Democratic primary race in March with ten candidates. It’s a packed race, but with so many candidates running, it’s hard to know who they are and what they stand for. So, let’s talk about it.
Here are the candidates (in no particular order):
Whew. That’s a lot. So, who are all of these people?
Julie Johnson.
Johnson is a three-term Texas House Representative and the only person on the list with legislative experience. She’s a Dallas attorney. There are pros and cons to electing Johnson to Congress. Pro: she has legislative experience. Con: there may be votes or donations that could come back to haunt her. Johnson has received Beto O’Rourke’s endorsement.
Jan McDowell.
I was Facebook friends with Jan McDowell for almost a decade, but we never spoke until she ran for TX24 last election cycle. She didn’t win, but we’re not discussing the 2022 election. McDowell is a retired CPA who has lived in the DFW her entire life. During the last election, she did get the endorsement for the Texas Progressive Democratic Caucus.
Dr. Brian Williams.
Dr. Williams was the trauma surgeon on duty the night of the 2016 mass shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers. As a trauma surgeon, he’s had to work on countless gun violence victims. Very few of us can imagine how hard something like that is. His platform is extensive. However, he is ultra-focused on the gun issue and saving lives.
Justin Moore.
Moore is a Civil Rights attorney who has championed mental health reform in the wake of his brother’s suicide. Moore is/was a prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. His platform checks all of the progressive boxes.
Kevin Felder.
I wish I could tell you more about Kevin Felder. His website indicates he’s been tireless championing the rights of the people but doesn’t say how. He does have a Twitter account but has only posted on it once. If you live in TX32, maybe you can see him at an in-person event.
Alex Cornwallis.
I interviewed Cornwallis in the last election when he ran for the State Board of Education. He was a good candidate, but y’all know how 2022 went. Cornwallis is a North Texas entrepreneur.
Zachariah Manning.
I just discovered I’m Facebook friends with Zachariah Manning, but I don’t think I’ve ever spoken with him. On his website, Manning has a bunch of pictures with Colin Allred. I wonder if they’re friends or travel in the same circles, but Collin Allred hasn’t endorsed anyone in this race yet. Manning works for Richardson ISD.
Chris Panayiotou.
Panayiotou is the Editor-In-Chief of COSIGN Magazine and is originally from Richardson. His platform is interesting, there are some issues he’s progressive on and some not so much. He calls himself a populist candidate.
Raja Chaudhry.
Chaudhry is a CEO of a large transportation company in the Dallas area. He’s lived in Dallas since 1984. My only concern with Chaudhry is that while he talks about the environment on his platform, he doesn’t specifically mention fossil fuels. Working in the transportation industry with charter buses, I wonder if he would be willing to vote for legislation that reduces our reliance on oil. Otherwise, Chaudhry checks all the rest of the right boxes.
Callie Butcher.
If elected, Butcher would be the first openly LGBTQ+ representative from the south and the first openly transgender member of Congress nationally. Butcher is a Dallas attorney whose platform is about inclusiveness and taking the hate out of politics.
Do I plan on endorsing anyone?
I will not be endorsing anyone in this race. Supporting in primaries is tricky and might burn a few bridges, but I won’t hesitate when I feel strongly about a candidate. However, I like several of these candidates and can’t narrow it down to one. (Sorry.)
Depending on how long you’ve been following me, you may or may not know how important the climate crisis is on my list of priorities. Last week, I said I wouldn’t endorse big-oil Democrats like Lizzie Fletcher or Henry Cuellar.
That being said, only a few of these candidates addressed the environment, specifically concerning fossil fuels. Perhaps before the primary election, the others would consider adding this to their list of priorities.
Who has included the climate crisis/environment as a platform issue?
Jan McDowell
Dr. Brian Williams
Justin Moore
Who has been raising the most money?
Dr. Brian Williams and Representative Julie Johnson are neck-in-neck, approaching $720,000 as of the last filing two months ago. They’re followed by:
Raja Chaudhry with $305,000.
Justin Moore with $135,000.
Callie Butcher with $107,000.
Alex Cornwallis with $105,000.
McDowell, Manning, Felder, and Panayiotou have much catching up to do and only four months until the primary election.
Williams and Johnson are the two clear frontrunners as of right now.
What should you know about TX32?
Would it surprise you if I told you this district was gerrymandered? Like every other map in Texas, Congressional District 32 looks like a toddler drew it.
This district is mainly comprised of East Dallas County with tiny slivers of South Collin and Denton Counties. It’s also 68.8% non-Anglo, which makes it a safe Democratic seat. This area is incredibly diverse, with 36% of the population being Hispanic, 21% Black, and 9% Asian.
Do I have any predictions?
I think no one in this race will reach 50%, which will boil down to a runoff election. The frontrunners appear to be Johnson and Williams, but a lot can change in the next four months. One thing is certain: this is a race many people will watch closely.
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Richardson Area Democrats in collaboration with Dems @ UTD will host a debate at UTD on Jan 18 for qualifying candidates in CD32. Will post the event invite later today if that’s allowed.