Cruz’s opponent said the Second Amendment should not exist.

Rep. Colin Allred’s Controversial Statement on Second Amendment

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), who is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the upcoming 2024 election, made a controversial statement in 2018 regarding the Second Amendment. During a campaign event, Allred expressed his opinion that it would have been “better” if the Second Amendment “had not been written.”

The Interpretation and Viability of the Second Amendment

Allred’s statement was made during a discussion on the interpretation and viability of the Second Amendment. He pointed out that the amendment states that “the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” but added that there are “two ideas” to this. According to video journalists, Allred said, “The recent trend has only been to focus on the right to bear arms instead of the well-regulated militia part. So I just think we have to accurately apply it. Would it be better if it had not been written? Of course. But there’s no chance that we’re going to repeal any of the Bill of Rights amendments.”

Co-Sponsorship of Universal Background Check Legislation

In 2021, Allred co-sponsored a bill on universal background check legislation, which criminalizes private gun sales conducted without an FBI background check. Other co-sponsors of this bill included Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib Rashida (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Response to Allred’s Past Statement

When asked about Allred’s past statement on the Second Amendment, his campaign manager Paige Hutchinson claimed that Allred “supports common-sense reforms and respects the rights of law-abiding gun owners.” She also pointed out that Allred supported Sen. Cornyn’s bipartisan bill to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, which Ted Cruz voted against. Hutchinson dismissed the highly edited clip from six years ago as not being an accurate reflection of Allred’s position.

Allred’s Run Against Cruz

Allred, who is widely seen as a rising star within the House Democratic Caucus, announced his run against Cruz on Wednesday. Cruz has indicated that he is running for reelection.

• Allred expressed his opinion that it would have been “better” if the Second Amendment “had not been written.”
• Allred co-sponsored a bill on universal background check legislation.
• Allred’s campaign manager claimed that Allred “supports common-sense reforms and respects the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”
• Allred announced his run against Cruz on Wednesday.

It remains to be seen how Allred’s past statement on the Second Amendment will affect his campaign against Cruz.