Allred, Cruz Continue Texas Tradition of Bipartisan Endorsements

Just after securing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in March, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred faced Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz releasing a list of Democrats backing his reelection. Now, as the campaign enters its final month, Allred has responded with a handful of Republican names joining his team.

This exchange is not merely a case of "man bites dog" stories but a continuation of a long-standing Texas tradition that predates both candidates' political careers.

In 1952, Democratic Governor Allan Shivers broke ranks with his party to support Republican presidential nominee Dwight Eisenhower, marking the first time Texas voted Republican since 1868. Shivers' decision gave rise to the term "Shivercrats". Despite the defection, Shivers won reelection as governor in 1952. However, he later faced political setbacks, such as losing control of the Texas Democratic Party to Lyndon Johnson in 1956.

John Connally, a key strategist in the Johnson-Shivers conflict, later became a Republican, joining Richard Nixon's administration in 1971 and leading "Democrats for Nixon" in 1972. Texas voted Republican by a 2-1 ratio that year, and Connally formally switched parties in 1973.

Among those influenced by Connally was Bob Bullock, who, despite initially poking fun at Connally's party switch, eventually endorsed Republican George W. Bush for a second term as governor in 1998 and supported his presidential run in 2000.

Both Allred's Republican supporters and Cruz's Democrats face limited upward mobility within their own parties. Notably, former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, now an Allred co-chair, chose not to seek reelection in 2022 after criticizing former President Donald Trump. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg endorsed Cruz after losing her primary due to her tough-on-crime policies.

A common theme among these endorsements is the perceived lack of political downside, continuing a tradition deeply rooted in Texas politics.