Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wins a third term to the US Senate

HOUSTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas gained reelection Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and Democrats’ newest attempt at ending many years of GOP dominance within the booming state that was thrust this election 12 months to the middle of battles over immigration and abortion.

Cruz, 53, secured a 3rd time period following one other costly reelection marketing campaign, six years after solely narrowly beating Beto O’Rourke. This time round, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race severely. He tried recasting himself to Texas voters as a get-things-done legislator, removed from his popularity as an unapologetic firebrand with nationwide ambitions.

Though votes had been nonetheless being tallied early Wednesday, Cruz was flirting with a double-digit lead over Allred, a margin far higher than his win over O’Rourke by lower than 3 proportion factors. Cruz’s victory helped Republicans safe management of the U.S. Senate for the primary time in 4 years.

Strolling out to the track “Eye of the Tiger,” Cruz addressed his supporters Tuesday evening at his watch occasion in Houston.

“Tonight the folks of Texas have spoken, and their message rings clear as a bell throughout our nice state: Texas will stay Texas,” Cruz stated to cheers from the gang, lots of whom held indicators that learn “Hold Texas Texas.”

Cruz thanked his spouse and his supporters. Cruz additionally thanked Allred for a hard-fought marketing campaign and pledged to guard the freedoms and values of all Texans, together with those that didn’t help him.

“I need to say to all of those that didn’t help me, you’ve got my phrase I’ll battle for you, your jobs, your security and on your constitutional rights,” he stated.

Cruz, who emphasised the significance of legislation and order on the marketing campaign path, was flanked on stage by a outstanding Democratic supporter — Harris County District Legal professional Kim Ogg, the highest prosecutor in Texas’ most populous county.

Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas’ first Black senator, carried a average banner whereas principally protecting each Vice President Kamala Harris and progressive supporters at arm’s size. He touted the endorsements of Republicans — together with former Rep. Liz Cheney — and ran as a champion of abortion rights in a state with one of many nation’s strictest bans.

In his concession speech at his watch occasion in Dallas, Allred stated he referred to as Cruz and congratulated him on his victory.

“It shouldn’t be exceptional to need to admit defeat,” he stated. “You may’t simply be a patriot when your facet wins. Tonight we didn’t win, however we are going to proceed to be patriots.”

His marketing campaign drew criticism early on from some Democrats who grew stressed with Allred’s technique of not packing his schedule with raucous rallies or investing extra in smaller corners of Texas, together with cities alongside Texas’ border with Mexico.

Cruz fared considerably higher in opposition to Allred than he did in opposition to O’Rourke six years in the past, together with a a lot stronger efficiency in largely Hispanic counties alongside the U.S.-Mexico border.

It was the newest failed try for Texas Democrats, who haven’t gained a statewide race in 30 years, the nation’s longest shedding streak.

Regardless of Texas’ reliably pink popularity, Democrats had hoped to benefit from the state’s shifting demographics that embrace rising Hispanic and Black populations and an inflow of residents from different states.

4 in 10 Texas voters stated the financial system and jobs is the highest situation going through the nation, in accordance with AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of greater than 110,000 voters nationally, together with greater than 4,500 voters in Texas. About 2 in 10 Texas voters stated immigration is essentially the most urgent situation, and about 1 in 10 named abortion.

Cruz, who ran for president in 2016, initially got here to the Senate after a stint as Texas’ solicitor basic. He launched a well-liked podcast referred to as “Verdict” in 2020 that defended then-President Donald Trump throughout his impeachment.

Allred was a star highschool athlete from Dallas who performed linebacker at Baylor College in Waco earlier than a profession within the NFL after which as a civil rights legal professional. He additionally had expertise defeating a Republican incumbent, having gained a U.S. Home seat in Dallas in 2018 that was held for greater than 20 years by GOP U.S. Rep. Pete Classes.