Rep. Julie Johnson
State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton, announced Tuesday she’s running to replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, kicking off her campaign with a significant show of support from inside her party.
In an announcement video, Johnson highlighted her experience as an LGBTQ Texan, mother, lawyer and state legislator who unseated a Republican in 2018.
“From every table — the kitchen, to the courtroom, and in the Texas Legislature — I already know how to get the job done and win the toughest battles,” Johnson said, adding that she is running to “turn the tables in Washington and make government work for you.”
Johnson joins a crowded Democratic primary to succeed Allred, who is giving up his solidly blue seat to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz next year. Other Democrats who have announced campaigns include Dallas trauma surgeon Brian Williams, Dallas civil rights attorney Justin Moore, and prior North Texas congressional candidates Sandeep Srivastava and Jan McDowell.
Johnson’s campaign has been long anticipated, and she begins with a list of notable endorsers. They include the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers; the Human Rights Campaign; state Reps. Venton Jones of Dallas and Donna Howard of Austin; and U.S. Reps. Ritchie Torres of New York and Mark Takano of California. Torres and Takano are co-chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
Rep. Johnson has been mentioned as a likely candidate from the get-go, so this was no surprise. She’s been a good State Rep and she did the world a favor when she bounced the racist little twerp who’s now the state GOP Chair from HD115 back in 2018. The story notes that two other State Reps who had been considering this race – Reps. Rhetta Bowers and Ana Ramos – have decided to stay put. As for the field she’s entering, we knew about Brian Williams and Justin Moore. Sandeep Srivastava ran in CD03 in 2022 and raised a few bucks along the way, though he’s likely to not be in the top tier here. As for Jan McDowell, maybe this means she’s finally giving up on CD24, which would be a good thing for the rest of us. Lastly, there’s already a candidate running to succeed Rep. Johnson. The circle of life, y’all.