*By Christian Smith*
It's an honor to receive former President Barack Obama's support for his Congressional bid, said Colin Allred, but really it's a recognition that the Texas Democrat has run a campaign that can win.
"We've built a grassroots movement of folks getting involved who haven't been involved before," Allred said in an interview Thursday with Cheddar. "It's kind of the legacy, I think, of President Obama's political brand, and I think that's what we're carrying forward here."
Allred is challenging Representative Pete Sessions, an eight-term incumbent, in Texas's 32nd congressional district north of Dallas. Sessions hasn't faced a Democratic opponent in a general election since 2014.
The Cook Political Report lists the race as a ["toss-up"](https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings) despite the 32nd district's R+5 PVI rating, which means it leans moderately Republican in presidential races, though voters there went for Hillary Clinton by one point in 2016.
That's a good sign for Allred, who is running to represent the area where he was born and raised. He was a stand-out football player at Hillcrest High School before going on to play linebacker at Baylor University and with the NFL's Tennessee Titans.
When his football career ended, Allred went to law school to become a civil rights attorney, and worked in the Obama Administration as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel.
Allred said that some of his former Hillcrest High teachers and coaches have been involved in his Congressional campaign, and their involvement is as important as Obama's endorsement in getting new voters to the polls in November.
"We're reaching out to Independents and Republicans who might feel like this version of the Republican party led by Donald Trump doesn't represent them," Allred said.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/former-nfl-player-colin-allred-in-tight-congressional-race-with-16-year-incumbent-pete-sessions).
Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.
Canada has removed 41 of its diplomats from India as tensions rise between the two nations.
Mitt Romney said he believes right-wing media is the reason for the radicalization of the GOP party.
An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child.
Israel bombarded Gaza early Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town in the north near the Lebanese border, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
The Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.
Addressing the nation from the Oval Office, President Joe Biden has made his case for major U.S. backing of Ukraine and Israel in a time of war.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that inflation remains too high and that bringing it down to the Fed's target level will likely require a slower-growing economy and job market.
Despite deepening opposition, Rep. Jim Jordan is expected to try a third vote to become House speaker, even as his Republican colleagues are explicitly warning the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump that no more threats or promises can win over their support.
