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State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado is challenging state Sen. Nathan Johnson in the Democratic primary for his Dallas-based seat.
Neave Craido revealed her decision to the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Monday, saying Johnson has not fought hard enough to push back against the Republican agenda. Her decision comes hours before the candidate filing deadline for the March primary.
Neave is set to file for the Senate seat at noon at the Dallas County Democratic Party headquarters.
Johnson did not immediately respond to the news of Neave Criado’s candidacy, but he has been shoring up his intraparty support in recent days. He announced a list of endorsements last week that included Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and Sen. José Menéndez of San Antonio, chair of the Senate Hispanic Caucus.
Johnson has represented Senate District 16 since his first election in 2018, when he unseated Republican Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas. The district became heavily Democratic after redistricting in 2021.
In the Senate, Johnson has been an outspoken voice for Medicaid expansion and Democrats’ top expert on fixing the power grid after the 2021 collapse.
Neave has served in the House since 2017 and chairs the County Affairs Committee.
Her decision to challenge Johnson means her solidly blue seat in House District 107 will be open, with little time for candidates to enter. The filing deadline is 6 p.m. Monday and as of Monday morning, no one had filed for the House seat.
