As election day draws near, the contest for the U.S. Senate seat representing Texas has captured significant national interest.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who has held the position since 2013, is gearing up for a tough battle against Democratic challenger Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and current member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
With both candidates highlighting their contrasting visions for Texas and the nation, the stakes are high.
Recent polling shows a thinning margin between the two candidates, making this one of the most closely watched races in the country and the “most expensive” senate race of all time.
Both candidates recently participated in exclusive interviews with Fox News, reflecting on their campaigns and the critical issues at stake in Texas. With Election Day on Tuesday, Cruz and Allred used the opportunity to make their final pitches to persuade undecided voters.
Allred has focused much of his campaign on criticizing Cruz’s stance on a few key issues. During the interview, he harped on Cruz’s connection to the state’s controversial abortion.
“He’s responsible, this abortion ban that we have here in Texas. And that’s what he doesn’t want to talk about. So he’s trying to distract folks. But I think Texans are smarter than that,” Allred said.
The Democratic challenger also addressed recent ads from Cruz’s campaign that spotlight transgender athletes, dismissing them as a diversion from more pressing concerns.
“This is just an attempt by Ted Cruz to distract from the fact that for 12 years he’s done nothing. In fact, he’s done worse than nothing. He’s prevented things from happening,” Allred added.
New polls suggest a tightening race, with a recent Emerson College poll showing Cruz leading Allred by only one percent. Last week the same poll showed a nearly 5% lead by Cruz, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Looking ahead, Allred predicted positive results for his campaign, saying, “What I know is that when I ran for Congress in 2018, I don’t think there was ever a single poll that showed me leading against Pete Sessions, and I beat him by nearly seven points.”
Cruz spent more time defending his political record and affirming his connection to conservative principles, particularly those on abortion. However, he also pointed out that the regulation of abortion is determined by the state legislature, not him.
“The rules on abortion in Texas are made by the state legislature in Austin, I’m not in the state legislature. The law is signed by the governor. I’m not the governor. By the way, neither is [Allred], neither of us get a vote on this,” Cruz told Fox.
“I am more than happy to put my record for 12 years of fighting for Texans and delivering for Texans side by side with Allred’s record. In Texas we have low taxes, low regulations, small businesses do great and we have lots of jobs. I think this race is all about keeping Texas, Texas,” Cruz added.
Cruz recently gave an exclusive interview with The Dallas Express, in which he expanded on his experience with funding during the election, his thoughts on immigration, and the impact of DEI initiatives within the country.