The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is endorsing Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for re-election in Texas’ 32nd Congressional District.
“Rep. Colin Allred is a leader who has delivered results for the constituents and businesses of Texas’ Thirty-Second Congressional District,” said Monique Thierry, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president in the SW-South Central Regional Office. “Born and raised in North Dallas, Rep. Allred deeply understands the challenges facing job creators, the workforce, and families in North Texas. He supports free enterprise and the American business community. The U.S. Chamber is proud to support Congressman Allred in his re-election.”
North Dallas Chamber President and CEO Ken Malcolmson added, “The continued growth of Dallas despite the economic challenges of the past few years emphasizes the importance of pro-business leaders willing to work for bipartisan solutions. It is our honor to be part of the U.S. Chamber’s recognition of Congressman Colin Allred with the Advocate for American Business award for his support of the business community.”
The endorsement goes against the Chamber’s typical practice of endorsing Republicans for public office, though it has been endorsing Democrats more often in recent election cycles than it has in the past.
However, GOP politicians have likewise been less aligned with business interests and there have been several notable spats between Republican lawmakers and major corporations such as tech companies.
As reported by The Dallas Morning News, the U.S. Chamber also made changes to its endorsement process, which is determined by a formula that now awards points for bipartisanship.
The Chamber’s embrace of some Democrats has taken flack from some conservative, pro-business pundits, such as Kimberley A. Strassel who argued in a 2021 article in The Wall Street Journal that the Chamber should reject all Democratic politicians because of Biden administration proposals that would increase corporate taxes.
The Chamber pushed back, saying it evaluates all candidates on the same criteria, which led it to endorse 191 Republicans in the 2020 election cycle. It also said that while politicians who support increasing business taxes are indeed docked points, the Chamber is “not a single issue organization.”
“For example, back in 2017 there was no bigger champion of tax reform than the Chamber, but about a dozen Republicans opposed the bill. Many of those members still earned the Chamber’s endorsement in the next election based on the overall voting record,” the U.S. Chamber said in a formal response to the article.
As far as the CD 32 endorsement, Allred accepted it with open arms.
“North Texas is home to some of the best workers and businesses in the nation, which is why I’ve made supporting them, creating good-paying jobs and growing our economy a priority of mine in Congress,” he said. “I’m proud of my efforts to build an economy that works for everyone including by passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the USMCA trade agreement which will create thousands of jobs, and to secure pandemic assistance to keep restaurants and small businesses open and their employees getting paid. I am honored to have earned the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement for my re-election.”
He continued, “The continued growth of Dallas despite the economic challenges of the past few years emphasizes the importance of pro-business leaders willing to work for bipartisan solutions,” North Dallas Chamber President and CEO Ken Malcolmson said. “It is our honor to be part of the U.S. Chamber’s recognition of Congressman Colin Allred with the Advocate for American Business award for his support of the business community.”
