Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, who was poised to mount a campaign for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, has instead decided to run for reelection to the Texas House.
“I am running for reelection to the Texas House because we’ve still got important work to do,” Bowers said in a statement on Thursday.
The Rowlett Democrat had been eyeing a run to replace Allred in Congressional District 32 but changed course days after a story about her potential congressional bid appeared in The Dallas Morning News. Allred is challenging incumbent Republican Ted Cruz for Senate.
“I’m excited about that opportunity and the possibility of serving some of my constituents and gaining some new constituents,” Bowers told The Dallas Morning News last week. “It’s an honor to be thought of, and even more an honor to have so much early support, even before I announce.”
On Thursday, she dropped dreams of Congress.
“We entered this legislative session with a record surplus, but failed to deliver pay raises for teachers or meaningful property tax relief to homeowners,” she said in the statement. “At a time when the state had the resources to lift everyone up, the Legislature instead chose to spend too much time engaging in culture wars against our fellow neighbors.
“In addition to these issues, I want to focus my attention on the needs of District 113 and continue to engage on my committees to protect our children and families from gun violence,” she added.
When asked if she still planned to run in the Democratic primary to replace Allred, Bowers texted, “Not at this time.”
The Democratic Party race to replace Allred in Congress includes Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch, who is planning an announcement in the coming days. Also in the contest is Dallas trauma surgeon Dr. Brian Williams and Dallas lawyer Justin Moore.
Bowers has represented Texas House District 113, which is anchored in parts of northern, eastern and southern Dallas County, since 2018.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas- at the bottom.
