Colin Allred won the Democratic primary runoff Tuesday for Texas' 32nd Congressional District, defeating Rep. Julie Johnson by a nearly 8-point margin in a race that has exposed divisions within the party over identity politics and LGBTQ representation in Congress.

Johnson, who is openly lesbian, became Texas' sole openly gay member of Congress when she succeeded Allred in January 2025 after he launched an unsuccessful Senate bid against Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred suspended his campaign for the 2026 Senate race late last year before announcing his return to the House race against Johnson.

The Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus, contributed at least $484,000 to Johnson's campaign and sharply criticized Allred following his victory.

What the Right Is Saying

Some Democratic-aligned voices pushed back sharply against the Equality PAC's criticism, arguing that the dispute could harm the party's electoral prospects in November.

Journalist Josh Barro wrote on social media: "Oh my god, this kind of whining is so off-putting. Straight people are allowed to run for office."

Tré Easton, a former senior aide to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., responded to the Equality PAC statement by writing: "Leave this s--- in Woke 1, besties."

Other commentators suggested that internal party disputes over identity politics could undermine Democratic efforts to win House seats in November.

What the Left Is Saying

Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., co-chairs of Equality PAC, issued a statement Wednesday criticizing Allred's decision to challenge Johnson in the primary for a deep-blue Dallas-anchored seat.

"It's no secret that, without Julie, Texas — and likely the entire South — will lose openly LGBTQ representation in Congress," the Equality PAC co-chairs wrote. "Many in our community remain deeply hurt by Colin Allred's decision to challenge one of our own."

The statement added: "As he moves forward, he bears a responsibility to help heal those divisions and rebuild trust with the communities impacted by this race."

Johnson serves as a vice-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. The group argued that Allred's primary challenge was particularly damaging given that Johnson represented a district that has historically elected Democrats.

What the Numbers Show

Allred defeated Johnson by nearly 8 percentage points in Tuesday's runoff election for Texas' 32nd Congressional District.

The Equality PAC contributed at least $484,000 to Johnson's campaign, according to the Texas Tribune. The group had made supporting LGBTQ candidates a priority heading into the 2026 elections.

Johnson served one term in Congress after winning a competitive primary in 2024. She succeeded Allred, who had represented the district from 2019 to 2025 before his Senate bid against Cruz.

Texas' 32nd Congressional District is heavily Democratic-leaning, making the winner of Tuesday's primary the overwhelming favorite in November's general election.

The Bottom Line

Allred's victory sets up a likely return to Congress for the former congressman while raising questions about LGBTQ representation in the House. Texas currently has no other openly gay members serving in the chamber, meaning Johnson's defeat could leave the state without such representation for at least the next two years.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party over primary challenges and whether candidates' demographic backgrounds should factor into electoral strategy. Allred's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Equality PAC statement, nor did representatives for Johnson.

Allred will face a Republican opponent in November in a district that President Donald Trump won in 2024.