It’s one of the tightest congressional races in North Texas. The congressional seat for District 32.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) has been in Congress for 21 years, but Democrat Colin Allred is hoping to change that.
Both candidates appeared at a forum in Dallas Thursday night put on by the Dallas County Family Violence Prevention Council. The purpose of the evening’s standing-room-only event, was to talk about critical, family violence issues.
The Violence Against Women’s Act that Congress passed back in 1994 was one of the main issues brought up at the forum. The law essentially helps provide funding for investigations into domestic violence, as well as providing safe haven shelters for domestic violence survivors, among other provisions proponents say are important to keeping survivors safe.
The current issue, the extension Congress approved is only good through December 6.
Sessions and Allred both commented on the future of the law that so many depend on.
“If you’re in Congress, it’s not a partisan issue,” said Allred. “To me, this is something that everybody should get on board with and no one should live with the threat of violence in their own home. The Violence Against Women’s Act has done so much to move us in the right direction.”
Allred also said Sessions did not vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act back in 2013. Sessions responded.
“I am completely for it,” Sessions said. “It is a bi-partisan effort and it has never been different except for when Mrs. Pelosi made it that way. Mrs. Pelosi added provisions that ended up not being in law. They were bad provisions and it was political. A political vote.”
Sessions added the Violence Against Women Act is fully funded and that money is not the issue.
“It’s policy. Policy is the problem. We’ve got the funding. I have full confidence we will get it done.” said Sessions.
Tuesday, October 9, is the last day to register to vote in Texas for the November 6 election. You have to mail in an official application to your county tax office or register in person.
