We came closer to losing our democracy than a lot of people realize

I want to talk about a dark day in our nation’s history: January 6, 2021.

You probably remember where you were when it happened. I know I’ll never forget.

The energy in D.C. had been tense for weeks, as Donald Trump refused to concede and spread more and more outlandish lies about how the election was stolen. I hadn’t been serving in Congress for long, but from what I could tell, it was unlike anything anyone had experienced before.

The peaceful transfer of power – one of the core pillars of any democracy – was in jeopardy in a way we had really never seen in American history.

So we knew we might be in for a long day on January 6, when Congress would convene to certify the election results. We knew a protest was planned at the National Mall and that there had been some disturbing rhetoric circulating online, but I don’t think anyone expected what was coming.

That day, I was on the House floor doing my job when we heard pounding on the doors. Glass breaking. People yelling. Rioters, many of them armed, had just done the unthinkable and breached the Capitol. Suddenly, we were on lockdown.

When you’re a former professional football player in a situation like that, people unsurprisingly look to you for protection. In these moments, political fights and parties cease to matter, and you’re all just people trying to survive, worried about making it home to your family.

I texted my wife, Aly, who was seven months pregnant with our second son, “Whatever happens, I love you.” And then I took off my jacket, rolled up my sleeves, and got ready to take on whatever came through that door.

Thankfully, it never came to that. But we did come closer to losing our democracy that day than I think a lot of people realize. Right-wing extremists like my opponent, Ken Paxton, were responsible for it, and it’s high time we hold them accountable.

Because while I was in the Capitol doing my job, where was Ken Paxton? After wasting Texans’ taxpayer dollars on a bogus lawsuit trying to overturn the election, he was speaking at the insurrection rally on the National Mall, pushing false claims of election fraud and egging on the crowd. “We will not quit fighting,” he said. Then, a violent mob marched to the Capitol.

That’s who the leading Republican candidate for Senate is here in Texas – an election denier with a long history of corrupt behavior, who’s spent his career attacking abortion rights and cosying up to Donald Trump. I’m not going to go too deep into Paxton’s rap sheet here (although I certainly won’t stop you from googling his mug shot).

But what I will do is promise you this: I am doing everything I possibly can to keep Ken Paxton out of the Senate. And I will keep fighting with everything I have to be the Senator all Texans deserve.

Because even though January 6 was almost five years ago, it’s as fresh in my mind as if it had happened yesterday. And the threat to our democracy is just as real today as it was then, especially if we let Donald Trump and bootlickers like Ken Paxton gain an even greater stronghold over Washington in next year’s elections.

We’ve seen what less than a year of unchecked MAGA control over our government looks like – an economy that’s gotten worse for working families, health care ripped away from millions of people, and alarming personal – and even legal – attacks against anyone who dares to criticize the administration. Now, it’s time for some Texas-style accountability.

Texans, and all Americans, deserve better – but it’s on all of us to stand up for the future of our country at this critical moment. With everything that’s at stake, I really want to thank you for being in this with me.

With gratitude,

Colin

Colin Allred is the leading Democrat in the race for U.S. Senate in Texas – and the only one with a clear path to victory against MAGA extremist Ken Paxton, who leads all Republican candidates. Not one, not two, but THREE polls show Colin edging out Paxton – but he urgently needs folks like you with him in this to hold the lead and flip Texas blue.

Colin’s running this campaign the right way, without accepting dark money from corporate PACs – meaning he’s relying entirely on members of this grassroots team to help him over the finish line. Will you chip in today to make sure he has what it takes to fight back against Paxton’s right-wing mega donors and win this battleground race for Democrats?

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