(TND) — Colin Allred, a Democratic congressman and former NFL linebacker, is set to take on Republican Sen. Ted Cruz this fall for the Texas Senate seat.

Democrats reportedly see Cruz as vulnerable and his seat as one they can flip in the general election.

Democrats hope to hold onto their slim majority in the Senate.

Thirty-four of 100 Senate seats are up for election, according to Ballotpedia.

Democrats have 48 seats to the Republicans 49, but three independents caucus with Democrats.

Cruz has been in the Senate for over a decade and mounted an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2016.

Cruz won reelection to the Senate in 2018, with just 50.9% of the vote against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke.

Allred, a congressman from the Dallas area, beat state Sen. Roland Gutierrez to advance to the general election matchup with Cruz, according to projections from The Associated Press and The New York Times.

Allred played four seasons in the NFL before earning a law degree and eventually winning election to Congress, where he’s served since 2019.