U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz may be in danger of losing his seat as he warned Texas Republicans that his race against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred will be tougher than expected.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Cruz told Republicans at the state party convention that Democrats have “put a bullseye on the state of Texas” and plan to oust him.
In 2018, Cruz had a tough race against Beto O’Rourke, winning by just three percentage points. Democrats saw it as a sign that Cruz was one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the Senate.
“Our biggest challenge, frankly, is complacency,” Cruz said at the convention. “People say, ‘Look, it’s Texas, you’re a Republican, it’s a reelect. This is easy, this is a layup.’”
“I think that’s objectively false,” Cruz said. “My last reelect, y’all remember: 2018, Beto O’Rourke… That was a victory due to the men and women here, but it also underscores how big this threat is.”
Despite Cruz’s warning, recent polls show him with a clear advantage over Allred. An April poll conducted by YouGov and the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas puts Cruz with a double-digit lead over Allred. In the poll, 46% of respondents said they would vote for Cruz, while only 33% said they would vote for Allred.
However, a significant percentage of respondents said they didn’t have an opinion. 22% preferred someone else or were undecided, and most of the undecided voters were identified as independents.
Allred has presented himself as a moderate willing to work with both Republicans and Democrats. He was able to flip a suburban seat outside Dallas in 2018 and hopes to flip the state this election.
However, a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election in Texas in more than three decades.
Cruz has also tried to portray himself as a senator who can work with Democrats when necessary. In March, Cruz launched a “Democrats for Cruz” group focused on winning over liberals unhappy with the Biden administration’s handling of the border and the economy.
Despite the polls, Cruz knows he is in peril and needs to act and court Democrats if he wants to survive this election
“I will say, my race here in Texas is a battleground race,” Cruz told Fox News in April. “My last race I won by less than three points because I’m the Democrats’ top target.”
