We’ve come a long way since launching this campaign for Texas’ 33rd Congressional District. The movement we’ve built and the sheer strength of this grassroots team has been both inspiring and humbling. It is a powerful reminder of how many believe in what I can do as a candidate for North Texas – and in what we can accomplish together to protect what we love most about our country, especially at a moment when our freedoms and our democracy demand our resolve. As I reflect on the journey we’ve shared and the path that’s brought me here, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the heroes who made it possible for me. Today, I want to share a bit about who those heroes are – and how each of them individually helped shape me into the leader I am today. My Mom.
My hero from Day One has always been my mom. She raised me on a single parent’s salary as a public school teacher. It wasn’t easy – and I knew it, even when I was young. I remember her sitting at the kitchen table late at night, head in her hands, trying to stretch a paycheck to get us to the next one. I spent a lot of time at the YMCA when she worked late because there wasn’t anywhere else to go. And I treated our local library like a bookstore, because buying books wasn’t always an option. But what I never lacked was love, structure, or belief in what I was capable of. My mom made my education her top priority, and she shaped my sense of responsibility – to my family, my community, and to those whose voices too often go unheard where decisions are made, many of whom share a lot of the same experiences I had growing up as a young boy in North Texas. She showed me what real strength looks like. And she’s the example I carry when I look at my own boys and the family Aly and I have built together. John Lewis.
Congressman John Lewis was one of my heroes long before I ever had the chance to call him a friend. He poured his blood, sweat, and tears (literally) into securing the right to vote for every American. He was beaten for believing that this right belonged to everyone, no matter the color of their skin. And he nearly died for speaking truth to power. When Republicans in Texas were pushing discriminatory laws to make it harder to vote, I kept coming back to his example. I asked myself where I could make the biggest difference in my own state. That question is what led me to become a civil rights lawyer focused on voting rights. Later, when I served with him in Congress, he was the person many of us looked to for advice and perspective. And in moments when our country feels overwhelmed by division and injustice today, I still look to his example – because I know that no matter the obstacle, he’d say to keep going. My wife, Aly.
My third and final hero: My wife, Aly. We met during my second year of law school in a class called the Law of Democracy. We were assigned to review each other’s papers. I honestly don’t remember what I wrote. But I still remember how good Aly’s paper was. It was thoughtful. Sharp. Confident. And I remember thinking I wanted to get to know the person who wrote it. Now, years later, she’s my life partner in every sense of the word and the person who helps hold our family together while I’m on the road, in meetings, and on the campaign trail. Aly is raising our two boys with grace, humor, and more patience than I could ever pretend to have. Truthfully, I couldn’t serve my community the way I do without her. And she is the reason I never forget that, at the end of the day, public service should also be about making life better for families like ours, and like yours. All three of these heroes taught me something different, but they share one powerful lesson: You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference – you just have to care enough to keep showing up. That is the mindset I will always bring as a representative of North Texas: showing up, standing firm, and fighting every day for policies that improve the lives of working families, protect our freedoms, and strengthen our democracy – especially in this moment in history. Until next time. – Colin Paid for by Allred for Texas
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Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
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