Civil rights lawyer Colin Allred finished a strong first in his crowded primary race. Democrats in the 32nd Congressional District will be best-served if they put him over the top in the May 22 runoff.

Like his remaining opponent, businesswoman Lillian Salerno, Allred served as a government appointee in the Barack Obama administration. And as we noted in our primary recommendation of Allred, he and Salerno have almost identical stands on the issues and seem equally adept at tackling the intricacies of both policy and politics.

Two significant issues lead us to again recommend Allred over Salerno:

Allred, 35, has deep roots in this district and connections that he has maintained since graduating from Hillcrest High School. The powerful grassroots foundation of support he's built here indicates he's having some success expanding and diversifying the traditional Democratic base.

Despite Allred's time in Washington, where he worked in the U.S. housing department under Julian Castro, his perspective on issues more often sounds like a North Texas point of view rather than one emanating from "inside the Beltway."

The trajectory of Allred's life story is impressive and reflects a candidate able to speak with authority about the wide variety of trials that constituents in the 32nd district face. Raised by a single mom who taught in Dallas public schools, Allred went on to play college and pro football before graduating from the Berkeley School of Law.

Salerno, 57, who held a significant post in the federal agriculture department, has directed much of her campaign at women and issues such as paid family leave. She moved into this district in September after many years in Lewisville.

The winner of this runoff will face Pete Sessions, the Republican incumbent, in November.

Ready to vote?

Part of a series of Dallas Morning News recommendations in the primary runoffs:

Early voting starts: May 14

May 22

Voters Guide: Compare candidates' answers to questionnaires tailored to their contest. voterguide.dallasnews.com/2018-runoffs/

Recommendations: Find a list of our Democratic and Republican recommendations to date. dallasnews.com/opinion

For more information:

Collin County 1-800-687-8546 co.collin.tx.us/elections

Dallas County 214-819-6300 dallascountyvotes.org

Denton County 940-349-3200 votedenton.com

Ellis County 972-825-5195 co.ellis.tx.us/312/Elections

Kaufman County 972-932-0298 kaufmancounty.org/elections

Rockwall County 972-204-6200 rockwallvotes.com

Tarrant County 817-831-8683 access.tarrantcounty.com/en/elections.html

For more help, including how to check your registration status, contact the Texas secretary of state at 1-800-252-8683 or visit votetexas.gov

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