Things are starting to look really awful for Ted Cruz’s reelection hopes
It looks like Ted Cruz is going to be in a real battle to hold onto his Senate seat in 2024. The Democrats’ presumptive nominee is so strong that even Fox News is touting his viability.
Earlier this month, U.S. Representative Colin Allred announced he’s running for Senate. His excellent campaign video begins with recounting Cruz’s support for the January 6 rioters, and how he took refuge in a supply closet during the attack.
Allred, meanwhile, says he “took off [his] jacket” and “got ready to take on anyone who came through that door.”
The former NFL linebacker is positioning himself as man of integrity and Cruz as a man of cowardice.
Later in the video, Allred highlights Cruz’s infamous vacation to Cancún in February 2021, while millions of Texans suffered through freezing temps without heat.
“On the football field at Hillcrest High School and Baylor University, I learned the values that prepared me for life,” says Allred. “How people can come together for something bigger than themselves.”
The landscape for Democrats in Texas remains difficult. They haven’t won a statewide race since 1994, and Lloyd Bentsen was the last Democrat elected to the Senate… in 1988. But Cruz is uniquely vulnerable.
As Breitbart mentions (yes, that Breitbart), Cruz defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke in 2018 by a “narrow margin of less than 3%.” In the ensuing years, Cruz hasn’t improved his likability problem. The attention-seeking politician remains one of the 10 most unpopular senators in the country, pulling in a 46% disapproval rating among voters in the Lone Star State.
Texas’ rapidly changing demographics also work against Cruz, a two-term incumbent. Since 2000, the state has added more than 8.3 million residents, and 7.6 million of them are people of color. Texas now has nearly the same number of white and Latino residents.
The aforementioned Fox News column bills Allred as the ideal candidate to take down Cruz and turn Texas purple. “If you were scientist in a lab tasked with creating the perfect state-wide candidate for Team Blue, you couldn’t come up with someone as well suited for this race as Allred,” the article reads.
Talk about praise coming from behind enemy lines!
Allred defeated well-funded Republican incumbent Pete Sessions by nearly 7 points to win his House seat in 2018, and has only improved his margins since. During the 2022 cycle, he beat his Republican challenger by nearly 33 points.
Allred boasts quite a resume to win statewide. A fourth-generation Texan, the ex-linebacker played his college ball at Baylor and four seasons in the NFL. Since being elected to Congress, he’s raked up a strong record of bipartisan achievements.
Ben Shapiro’s Daily Caller, hardly friendly territory for Democrats, quotes Allred’s website directly. “Allred remains focused on reducing the cost of health care, protecting entitlements, lowering college tuition and ensuring the economy benefits all Texans,” the writeup reads.
As we’ve previously covered, Texas Democrats are seemingly unanimous in their belief that Allred is the best person to challenge Cruz. Dallas businessman and LGBTQ+ activist Morgan Cox said Allred has widespread support.
“He built a coalition of young people, of old people, people of different races and different backgrounds, straight people, gay people,” said Cox.
A staunch LGBTQ+ ally, Allred also celebrated a gay engagement on one of his own constituent tours in Washington.
Cruz, who has an embarrassing history of deserting his constituents and having things thrown at him by them, better be ready for a fight. For his sake, hopefully he doesn’t hide in a supply closet this time around.
Scroll down for more reaction to Allred’s exciting candidacy…
“We’re gonna win this.” Count me in.
— Kathy M. Schneider (@kminorschneider) May 7, 2023
All Texans have had enough of a Cruz Abbott Texas.
— Seth Roleins (@THENATUREBOY1) May 13, 2023
