This combination of photos shows Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, being sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025, in Washington, left, and Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaking on Nov. 5, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Tony Gutierrez)
Jacquelyn Martin, Tony Gutierrez/AP
Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and incumbent U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson are facing off in Tuesday’s runoff for a newly drawn North Texas district, capping a race that has turned the onetime Democratic allies against each other.
The intraparty fight — one of the most closely watched this cycle — for the Dallas-based District 33 stems from a Republican-led redrawing of Texas’ congressional map aimed at maintaining the party’s narrow majority in Washington.
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The contest could also change the Democratic lineup in Washington, either unseating Johnson after one term or keeping out Allred, the former three-term congressman who vacated the seat and lost a 2024 bid for the Senate.
The district strongly favors Democrats, with the winner all but assured of capturing the congressional seat. Allred finished first in the March primary but fell short of the votes needed to win outright.
RACE ANALYSIS: Tacos, boxing gloves and turnout math in Dallas Democrats’ runoff between Allred, Johnson
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The Republican candidate for District 33 will also be decided in a runoff between customs broker Patrick Gillespie and entrepreneur John Sims.
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Polls in Dallas County were running smoothly Tuesday, a notable contrast from the troubled March primary, which was marked by confusion after the county Republican Party forced a switch from countywide voting to precinct-based voting.
The Dallas Morning News will provide live election results this evening after the polls close at 7 p.m.
Signs are displayed outside of a voting center during primary election runoff day at Oak Lawn Library on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Disputes over immigration, voting consistency shaped race
Though Johnson and Allred share a party label and many of the same policy positions, their campaigns have sought to draw sharp contrasts between them.
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Their postures on immigration, for example, made for frequent fodder on the campaign trail and in dueling ads. Both often critique the Trump administration’s approach to enforcement, but they disagree on specifics around how the issue should be handled.
Allred has sought to frame Johnson — whom he once endorsed as his successor — as the wrong fit for the role, pointing to stock trades she made while in Congress as “icky” and “unethical.”
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett campaigns for candidate candidate Colin Allred at the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center, in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, May 9, 2026. The aviation center was hosting the 2026 Congressional Art Competition Showcase.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
The trades included shares in Palantir, a tech contractor whose software assists immigration officials with deportations.
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Johnson dismissed the attacks, saying she had divested from Palantir, that her trades were managed by an independent money manager and that she made just $90 from them.
MORE ON THE RACE: Crockett, Talarico reprise rivalry, back different candidates in congressional runoff
She, in turn, took aim at Allred’s voting record on immigration-related bills brought by the GOP, chiding him for his vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants without bond who are accused of committing certain crimes.
Congresswoman Julie Johnson speaks during West Side Pachanga, a community event in West Dallas. The event gave Johnson an opportunity to greet and interact with members of the community. She’s running for Congress against Democrat Colin Allred.. The event was held at Old West Dallas Taqueria, 5227 Singleton Boulevard in Dallas on May 3, 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Johnson accused Allred of often shifting his positions, arguing that she would more consistently oppose the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement push shaping Trump’s second presidential term.
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Allred at times has advocated for thoughtful bipartisanship on certain issues. He said the current political climate, however, presents “new challenges” that demand “new ideas,” including his new support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Staff writers Everton Bailey Jr. and Aria Jones contributed to this report.