Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R, has won a third term in the Senate after fending off a challenge from Democratic Congressman Colin Allred. This is an important victory for Republicans as they try to win a majority in the chamber.
Update: Donald Trump projected to win 2024 presidential election: DDHQ
Cruz’s campaign focused on border security, a hot button issue in Texas as the state has dealt with an influx of migrants throughout the Biden Administration. Cruz accused Allred of supporting open borders and said he was too liberal for Texas.
During the campaign, Allred criticized Cruz for his stance on abortion. The Democratic party ran ads pointing to Cruz’s support for overturning Roe v. Wade which led to a total abortion ban in the state. The law has only narrow exceptions for life threatening conditions and the patient being at risk of “substantial impairment of a major bodily function”. Cruz previously co-sponsored a 20-week national abortion ban that included exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.
Cruz previously served as Texas Solicitor General and ran for president in 2016. Allred is a former NFL linebacker and civil rights attorney who flipped his congressional district, which covers portions of the Dallas area, when he was first elected in 2018. He would have been the state’s first black Senator.
This was the most expensive Senate race in Texas history, beating the Cruz v. O’Rourke contest in 2018. In total, the candidates and outside groups spent about $207 million.
