with statewide candidates like Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke and gubernatorial nominee Lupe Valdez, helped boost voter totals.

But if Sessions effectively turns out his Republican base, he'll be hard to beat. And it will be tough for Allred to tap into the incumbent's core support. He's casting Allred as a California-type liberal who would support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as speaker and threaten the economic prosperity in the district with liberal policies, including universal health care.

U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions speaks at a campaign kickoff event at the Highland Dallas hotel on June 23, 2018. Sessions, a Republican, is running against Democrat Colin Allred. (Andy Jacobsohn / Staff Photographer)

Like other compelling races in Texas, the contrast between the candidates is clear.

Sessions, chairman of the House Rules Committee, hasn't hada major challenge since beating former Democratic Rep. Martin Frost in 2004. At that time the district was heavily Republican.

Sessions is in the toughest fight of his congressional career, and it's one that doesn't look like any of the others he's had.