WASHINGTON -- All eyes were on U.S. Rep.-elect Colin Allred as he walked to the front of the room to learn his fate.

Before the lottery, he pulled out his lucky rock and showed it to the audience.

The drawing went in alphabetical order, making Allred the first of 85 new members to get a number. The Democrat from Dallas immediately came away a winner, drawing No. 4.

He said he got the rock from a friend about six months ago while he was on the campaign trail and has kept it on him. The friend told Allred when he gave him the rock that if he ever “wanted to return to the basics, think about the rock.”

His fellow freshmen were impressed by his accomplishment, and some hoped that same magic would rub off on them.

Sean Casten, D-Illinois, shook his colleague’s hand and said a “prayer for the mojo of Allred.” Unfortunately, he drew 80.

Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, tried to gain some “Texas luck” by taking the lucky rock up with her to draw.

U.S. Rep.-elect Colin Allred had a lucky item with him as he drew for his room. A friend gave him the rock about six months ago on the campaign trail, and he has kept it on him. (Matthew Adams / Dallas Morning News)

“Ugh, 56. Hey, I got Colin’s number,” Fletcher said.

Allred wore No. 56 when he played for the Tennessee Titans before a neck injury ended his career.

“The rock might have passed it on to her,” Allred said.

Allred quickly left after his drawing to go check out some offices.

New members don’t get prime office space and this freshman class was only able to select from offices in the Longworth and Cannon buildings. The third House office building, named for Sam Rayburn -- who represented a district in northeast Texas and had served more than 16 years as speaker when he died in office in 1961 -- is reserved for more senior members.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, recommended Allred look at offices in Longworth. He instead chose Cannon 328.

“It’s an office people can find and is accessible to our constituents,” Allred said. “It’s got good light. I think it’s a place that can be welcoming. These are small things, but they matter.”

Some members made a big deal out of drawing for their room. like Lucy McBath, D-Georgia, who danced, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, who FaceTimed her husband as she drew.

But others didn’t make a fuss.

Chip Roy, R-San Antonio, walked into the packed room and didn’t understand the hooplah. “It’s just a room,” he said.

“It’s more about a place for constituents to go rather than about us,” he said.

Although he drew closer to the end, Roy did OK, drawing No. 41.

Dan Crenshaw, R-Humble, and Lance Gooden, R-Dallas, were the Texans who drew the lowest positions, 59 and 78.

“We didn’t have the best luck, but I feel OK about it,” Crenshaw said.