Ted Cruz has secured a third term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Democratic challenger Colin Allred in the high-stakes race for the Lone Star State’s Senate seat.
The Fox News Decision Desk projected Cruz as the winner late Tuesday night, following a closely watched campaign between the two candidates. As of late Tuesday, Cruz was leading with 56.3% of the vote compared to Allred’s 44.5%, with 67% of votes reported.
Cruz has represented Texas in the Senate since 2013, and his victory cements his continued influence in Congress. His re-election marks the third time he has successfully held on to his seat, having previously defeated Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke in 2018 and Paul Sadler in 2012.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, this Senate race was the most expensive in American history. By mid-October, both candidates had raised a total of $165 million, surpassing the previous fundraising record of $125 million set during the 2018 Senate race between Cruz and Beto O’Rourke.
Allred, 40, a former NFL player and current U.S. Representative for Texas’ 32nd Congressional District, ran a competitive campaign, but ultimately fell short in his bid to unseat Cruz. Throughout the race, Allred trailed Cruz by narrow margins in several polls, though many experts predicted a close contest.
Cruz’s victory extends the Republican Party’s dominance in Texas, where no Democrat has won a statewide office in 30 years.
The race was hard-fought, with both candidates going back and forth on heavily contested issues like immigration and abortion. Yet, seemingly Cruz was able to maintain a significant advantage among the state’s Republican base. Allred, meanwhile, was seeking to appeal to a broader demographic, including suburban voters and younger voters.
In the end, Cruz’s victory provides a major boost to the Texas Republican Party, which continues to hold a commanding position in statewide elections. Allred, who in 2018 unseated Republican incumbent Pete Sessions, will now look ahead to future opportunities, though Cruz’s hold on his Senate seat makes him a difficult opponent to challenge in the years to come.
Cruz sat down in an exclusive interview with The Dallas Express last week to discuss the race, and some of the potential goals he has for Texas once officially re-elected. First and foremost, Cruz emphasized appointing constitutionalist judges on the federal bench.
“I spent 12 years fighting for principled constitutionalists on the federal bench, judges who will protect the Constitution, who will protect our fundamental rights under the Bill of Rights, including free speech and religious liberty and the Second Amendment,” Cruz told DX.