Tracy Andrus

Marshall resident Dr. Tracy Andrus has announced his intention to run for the 1st Congressional District seat in the March Democratic primary.

Andrus is a local pastor, community advocate, entrepreneur, educator and criminal justice reformer.

He hopes to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Tyler in November 2026.

In a statement, Andrus said he’s bringing a bold message of hope, justice and accountability to his campaign and making a vow to fight for everyday Texans who feel forgotten and betrayed by extreme, far-right policies.

“I win, we win!” he said of his campaign. “This is not just about one race — this is about restoring dignity, humanity and truth to American politics,” Andrus said as he addressed a crowd of supporters at a recent campaign launch in Marshall.

Andrus is pastor of the Edwards Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Marshall, longtime director of the Lee P. Brown Criminal Justice Institute at Wiley University, a business owner, founder of the Tracy Andrus Foundation and founder of Heather’s House safe homes for domestic violence victims. He also runs a homeless shelter supported by his foundation.

His campaign comes after a run as a write-in candidate in the 2024 election for Ted Cruz’s U.S. Senate seat.

“As the executive director of the Tracy Andrus Foundation, he has championed housing for the homeless, second chances for ex-offenders and educational access for underserved communities,” according to Andrus’ bio. “Now, he is taking that fight to Washington.”

Andrus says he is challenging what he considers a dangerous political agenda, including what he says are: unlawful immigration policies that separate children from their families; Project 2025, which he describes as a radical blueprint aiming to dismantle Social Security, Medicaid, and DEI programs; the systematic erasure of civil rights reminiscent of Jim Crow and Jane Crow eras; the removal of pandemic protections, threatening millions of lives as a second wave of COVID looms; and policies that are pushing America closer to civil unrest and even global conflict.

“(President Donald) Trump and his allies aren’t just restoring policies — we believe they are restoring Jim Crow,” Andrus said. “Their agenda threatens to divide this nation even further, to roll back civil rights, and to silence the very people who built this country.

“We’ve come too far to go back now,” Andrus continued. “We must protect our seniors, defend public education, and fight for healthcare, housing, and justice for all. Texans are fed up, and so am I.”

Andrus hopes to gain supporters of all backgrounds, ages, social classes and ethnicities to back his campaign and help him stop what he considers a political “purge” of democracy, he said.

“With grassroots energy building and community voices growing louder, the Andrus campaign is preparing for a historic fight to reclaim Texas District 1 for the people —not the politicians,” his campaign team stated.

“This is the battle of our generation., and I’m ready to lead it,” Andrus said.

Andrus joins what is becoming a crowded Democratic field for the March primary. Dax Alexander and Masika Akilah Ray also have announced their candidacy.

In addition, Ryan Nichols, a Longview man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has announced he will challenge Moran in the March Republican primary.