Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Colin Allred came out swinging in their Tuesday night debate, each portraying their opponent as too extreme to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Allred began by introducing himself as a fourth-generation Texan with a bipartisan record in Congress before attacking Cruz as divisive and “the most extreme senator” in Washington.
“I’m the exact opposite of Sen. Cruz,” said Allred, who also criticized Cruz for vacationing in Cancun during deadly 2021 blackouts in Texas. “The truth is, we don’t have to be embarrassed by our senator. We can get a new one.”
Cruz urged voters to listen for the difference between Allred’s words and actions and promised to expose his opponent’s “radical” record, saying Allred would seek to obscure it.
“We’re doing an awful lot right in the state of Texas,” Cruz said. “Colin Allred wants to change that. I want to keep Texas, Texas.”
In a fast-paced back and forth on abortion, immigration, inflation and other hot-button issues, the candidates sought to portray themselves as aligned with Texas values and their opponent as dangerous and out of touch.
Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL(Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL)
Tuesday’s one-hour debate, held at WFAA’s downtown Dallas studio without an audience, came as recent polls show Allred, a congressman from Dallas, making significant gains on Cruz. Even so, most political handicappers give Cruz the edge three weeks ahead of the Nov. 5 election, and a University of Houston survey released Tuesday showed Cruz leading Allred 50-46.
The debate, aired live on WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and other TEGNA stations across the state, was moderated by Jason Whitely, WFAA’s senior political reporter, and Gromer Jeffers Jr., The Dallas Morning News’ political writer.
The first question probed the candidates’ thoughts on abortion, specifically whether Cruz supports exceptions for rape and incest.
Cruz avoided addressing his position on those specific exceptions, instead saying the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade returned regulations to the control of the states. He objected to Allred blaming him for Texas’ near-total abortion ban, saying those policy decisions were up to state lawmakers.
“You wouldn’t expect Texas’ laws to be the same as California,” Cruz said. “You wouldn’t expect Alabama to be the same as New York.”
Allred has put abortion at the center of his campaign, highlighting cases of Texas women whose health was endangered when they were denied access to the procedure despite pregnancy complications.
He pledged to restore the protections of Roe and objected to Cruz calling himself “pro-life.”
It’s not pro-life, Allred said, to deny medical care needed to protect health or fertility or to force a woman to carry her rapist’s baby.
“That’s not pro-life, senator,” Allred said. “So, to every Texas woman at home and every Texas family watching this, understand that, when Ted Cruz says he’s pro-life, he doesn’t mean yours.”
Cruz said Allred supports federal legislation that would wipe out Texas laws with broad support, such as parental notification requirements.
Asked about immigration issues, Allred declined to address his evolution on policy after formerly calling a border wall racist and vowing during his 2018 campaign to tear down the wall. He instead accused Cruz of doing “worse than nothing” in the Senate by opposing a bipartisan border deal negotiated this year.
Cruz said Allred has voted against a border wall three times and tied him to the top of the Democratic ticket.
“Colin Allred is Kamala Harris,” he said. “Their records are the same.”
Asked if he supports former President Donald Trump’s stated plan to pardon Jan. 6, 2021, rioters at the U.S. Capitol, Cruz said anyone who committed violent acts should be prosecuted, then pivoted to attacking Allred on crime.
“Congressman Allred is happy to talk about those who committed acts of violence on Jan. 6, but you don’t hear him talking about the antifa and Black Lives Matter riots that burned cities across this country,” Cruz said.
Allred said Cruz was “hiding in a supply closet” when the mob attacked the Capitol and criticized the senator for objecting to certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.
“You can’t be for the mob on Jan. 6 and for the officers” who were attacked, Allred said, looking at Cruz, who smiled. “You can’t. And it’s not funny, because you’re a threat to democracy.”
Allred leaned into football terminology to tackle Cruz’s TV ads accusing Allred of voting to support allowing boys in girls’ locker rooms, bathrooms and sports. Allred characterized Cruz’s attack ads as a “Hail Mary.”
“I don’t support boys playing girls’ sports,” Allred said.
Cruz said he believes in protecting every child from harm but emphasized that it’s not fair for biological boys to compete with girls, including his youngest daughter, who plays volleyball.
“It’s not fair for a biological boy … a teenage boy, to spike the volleyball at her,” he said. “And [Allred] has voted repeatedly in favor of that.”
Asked about in vitro fertilization, Cruz blamed Senate Democrats for blocking a bill he introduced that would have protected access to IVF. Republicans did the same to a Democratic-led bill last month.
Allred argued Cruz’s positions are why IVF needs protecting, countering that Cruz is simply trying to clean up his image to win reelection.
After Cruz dismissed Allred’s title as Texas’ most bipartisan member of Congress as “camouflage” from a board of Democrats, Allred said his work across the aisle is not in question.
“What is in question is your recent transition to trying to be someone who wants to actually get things done instead of being a hyperpartisan,” he said.