Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and incumbent U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson were left waiting late Tuesday after Election Day disruptions at Dallas County polling places forced extended voting hours in their Democratic primary for a newly drawn Dallas-based congressional seat.
The race was triggered by a state-drawn shakeup of Texas’ congressional lines that forced the two North Texas Democrats into the same district, making the race for the 33rd District one of the most closely watched intraparty contests.
The outcome in Dallas and other House districts across the state carries stakes beyond Texas, testing boundaries Republicans drew last year to protect their slim majority in Washington.
The Dallas Morning News will provide live election results this evening when the polls close at 7 p.m.
Breaking News
Allred, a former three-term congressman from Dallas who lost a Senate bid in 2024, returned to the House battlefield after dropping out of the 2026 Senate primary.
Johnson of Farmers Branch, elected in 2024 to succeed Allred in the old 32nd District, opted to run next door in the reconfigured 33rd rather than in a reshaped, GOP-leaning district stretching east of Dallas.
Dallas County extended polling hours until 9 p.m. after voters were turned away from usual countywide voting sites and redirected to assigned locations following the county GOP’s decision to run a separate primary.
District Judge Staci Williams granted the extension at the request of the county Democratic Party, citing “mass confusion” that also crashed the county elections website. Her order was later paused by the Texas Supreme Court.
At his election-night gathering at the African American Museum in Fair Park, Allred’s campaign staff acknowledged to The Dallas Morning News that they had sent supporters a mass text message prematurely declaring victory.
Allred did not immediately address the crowd after the polls closed, nor did Johnson, who had planned to do so at the Dallas County Democratic watch party at a restaurant in the Stemmons Corridor.
Allred later said he was expecting a runoff.
“I know Dallas and Dallas knows me,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this runoff.”
Preliminary vote returns Tuesday night in the other Democrat-friendly district in Dallas, the 30th, showed the Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III leading former Dallas City Council member Barbara Mallory Caraway.
The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Dallas Democrat running for Senate, and she endorsed Haynes.
Democratic primary clash
The primary drew heightened scrutiny of two candidates with similar policy profiles but differing records and approaches.
Both campaigned on protecting abortion access, expanding voting rights and pushing back on Republican policies in Washington. The race sharpened around contrasts in tenure, judgment and political positioning.
Johnson said her current service in Congress and relationships with local constituents make her best suited to represent the newly configured district.
She emphasized her committee work, including on Homeland Security, and said she provides a steady voice during a turbulent period in Washington.
Allred has leaned on his previous six years in Congress and higher statewide profile, saying he brings broader experience and the ability to navigate tough political fights.
The tone escalated in recent weeks after Allred criticized Johnson over stock trades involving a federal vendor whose products have been used by immigration authorities. Johnson said her investments were independently managed and divested after concerns were raised.
Johnson, in turn, faulted Allred for supporting the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal detention of certain migrants accused of crimes, such as theft or burglary.
She said the law allows deportation without “proper due process hearings.” Allred called the vote “a tough one,” saying he backed the bill because he trusted that the Biden administration would enforce it more responsibly than he believed President Donald Trump would.
Staff writers Everton Bailey Jr. and Aria Jones contributed to this report.