U.S. Air Force Col. Terry Virts, a former F-16 fighter pilot and NASA astronaut, is the other Democrat in the race.

Former Texas Rep. Colin Allred is running for Senate again, this time against Republican John Cornyn, who faces a tough primary challenge, too.

Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, announced Tuesday that he's running for the Senate next year, eying the seat Republican John Cornyn has held for more than two decades. Allred, a former NFL player who unsuccessfully tried to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, last year, is the first major Democratic candidate to jump into race.