DALLAS — Voters in the Super Tuesday Democratic primary will decide which candidate they want to face Sen. Ted Cruz, the incumbent Republican, in November’s general election.
There are nine candidates on the ballot:
- Congressman Colin Allred of Dallas
- State Senator Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio
- State Representative and former DeSoto Mayor Carl Sherman
- Meri Gomez, a tax accountant from Mission
- Mark Gonzalez, former Nueces County District Attorney
- A. “Robert” Hassan, a businessman from Katy
- Steve Keough, a retired Navy captain and law professor
- Heli Rodriguez Prilliman, an entrepreneur from Fort Worth
- Thierry Tchenko, a political organizer in Houston
With a field this crowded, it could be hard for any of the candidates to earn more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.
But a recent poll from The Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin shows Allred polling at 52%.
When asked on a January episode of Inside Texas Politics if he thought the primary would go to a runoff, Allred didn’t give a firm yes or no.
“I’ve run tough races before and I know how to be in a tough race and to make sure that we are appealing broadly to folks,” he said. “In 2018 I had a seven-person primary that I won by 20 points, a runoff I won by 40, and then I beat a 22-year incumbent by seven.”
Gutierrez is polling second at just 14%.
Gutierrez criticized the UT-Austin survey because it only reflects answers from 354 potential Democratic primary voters.
“I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” he told WFAA. “I think people are in for a surprise come March 5. I’m sure we’re going to be in a runoff, and we’ll keep at it.”
Only Gutierrez, Sherman and Allred participated in one official debate in this race.
It was hosted by the AFL-CIO in January.
During the debate, Allred boasted that he is “the most bipartisan member of the Texas delegation,” and said he still stands up for his values.
Gutierrez sees Allred’s bipartisanship as a liability – saying someone who will fight Republicans is what Texas needs to do battle with Cruz.
“I don’t sit there and hold hands with Republicans,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to talk to families at home about the issues that matter most to them. And they have to analyze for themselves who’s going to fight for them most. And I represent to you that’s gonna be me.”
The primary is March 5. If a runoff is necessary, it would be Tuesday, May 28.
The general election is Nov. 5.