Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez on Monday morning announced he will challenge Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024. Gutierrez is the second prominent Democrat vying for Cruz’s seat.

The San Antonio Democrat has been the most vocal advocate for gun restrictions following the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Gutierrez is an immigration attorney who has served in the Texas Legislature since 2008 and the Texas Senate since 2021.

Gutierrez’s announcement comes a little more than two months after U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, announced his 2024 Senate campaign. Allred last week announced he has so far raised nearly $6.2 million.

Gutierrez was little known beyond his South Texas district, which includes Uvalde, before the shooting. He spent the next year making impassioned pleas for tougher gun laws and firings over police waiting more than an hour to confront the gunman.

No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas in nearly 30 years. Former congressman Beto O’Rourke nearly beat Cruz in 2018 — in what was a strong year for Democrats nationally — but was soundly defeated by double-digits last year in a challenge against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Both Gutierrez and Allred are likely to draw attention to Cruz voting to reject the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory over former President Donald Trump in 2020. Allred has also accused Cruz of abandoning Texas by going on vacation with his family during a deadly winter storm a few weeks later.

Cruz's campaign responded to Gutierrez's announcement Monday morning, saying they welcome the challenge. 

“We welcome Senator Gutierrez to the race. Texans will now get to watch Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez slug it out for who can be the most radical leftist in the state. Meanwhile, Sen. Cruz will continue passionately defending Texas and delivering real results for 30 million Texans,"Cruz spokesperson Nick Maddux wrote.