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State Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, D-Rowlett, has joined the large primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, in representing Congressional District 32.
On Tuesday, Bowers announced her official candidacy, going back on her earlier choice to not run, and now preparing to compete against her fellow Texas House member, Rep. Julie Johnson, a Democrat representing Farmers Branch.
In her recent video release, Bowers emphasized her legislative experience and pledged to continue advocating for the progressive change that is necessary. She subtly criticized Johnson by insinuating that she had diverged from the unified stance during the House Democratic quorum break in 2021.
Bowers also announced an initial list of endorsements including former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, and seven Democratic colleagues in the Legislature.
As Allred competes for a U.S. Senate seat, there are a minimum of 10 other Democrats running for his firmly Democratic district.
Johnson had long been expected to run for the seat and made her bid formal after the regular legislative session ended in late June. Bowers said earlier that month that she would not run.
Johnson’s statement highlighted the irony of Rep. Bowers changing her stance on running for Texas voters. He observed the limited funds in her state campaign account and emphasized that he remains the most capable candidate when it comes to raising and utilizing the required funds to secure this seat for the Democrats.
Bowers’ statement did not explicitly mention her change of stance. However, in a press release, she emphasized the importance of ensuring that historically marginalized communities in our region of Texas maintain representation and influence in Congress. Bowers, who is Black, highlighted this concern as the district’s demographic composition shifted after the 2021 redistricting, no longer having a white majority of eligible voters. Johnson, on the other hand, is white.
Bowers did not spare Johnson in her launch video as she addressed the 2021 quorum break, when most House Democrats fled to Washington, D.C., in protest of new GOP voting restrictions. Johnson could not be accounted for at a certain point, and a Texas Monthly reporter tweeted that “[Johnson] and her wife & [state Rep. Jessica González] and her fiancé are in Portugal for a vacation they had been planning, with non-refundable tickets, for a year-and-a-half.”
Bowers expressed in the video that he was separated from his family for 38 days, and even when some people deviated from their beliefs, he remained steadfast on his principles until the very end. The video displayed a headline concerning Johnson’s alleged journey.
Bowers’ campaign will result in an open position in state House District 113, a district she has been representing since 2019. The seat tends to favor the Democratic party.
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