Democratic
Texas Rep. Colin Allred, who is running to unseat
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, has broken a pledge to voters every year since he took office in 2019. Allred, who has held his seat since 2019, failed to uphold the he in 2018 stipulating that he host four town halls for constituents each calendar year. Each town hall would be “free and open to the general public and press,” would be announced more than two days ahead of time at a venue with “reasonable accommodations and ample room” and would include “at least 30 minutes for open, unscreened questions from the audience.” “I proudly signed the Town Hall Project pledge,” Allred wrote on
Twitter on Feb. 19, 2018, while campaigning to represent Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. “As your member of
Congress, I will listen to the people I represent and give you the opportunity to have your voice heard. This is something that has been missing in this district for far too long.” I proudly signed the pledge. As your member of Congress, I will listen to the people I represent and give you the opportunity to have your voices heard. This is something that has been missing in this district for far too long. — Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) last hosted an in-person “town hall” on March 6, 2020. The event focused on “the latest on the
Coronavirus and resources for the public.” Capacity was limited at the venue, and the congressman directed those who could not enter to watch the event via
Facebook livestream. Since then, Allred has held several town halls via telephone, but the Town Hall Project’s parent organization such events as “sham town halls” and does not count them toward the pledge. While hosted a few town halls in 2019, questions appeared to be screened by his political allies at every event. from one town hall that year shows an audience member being shut down for asking a question that was not pre-approved about how campaign funding impacted congressional actions. She was told to “write down” her question and that Allred would “talk to [her] afterwards,” leaving her question unanswered. repeatedly emphasized town halls as a top issue during his 2018 campaign, going as far as to to holding “a monthly town hall.” The Town Hall Project is part of , a group the
Democratic congressman met with, praised and thanked for helping him win in 2018. Indivisible supports initiatives to and to .