Ted Cruz leads the race for U.S. Senator in Texas as he seeks to beat challenger Colin Allred. Recent polling updates have Cruz in the lead with 48.7% compared to Allred who has 45.4%, according to FiveThirtyEight.
On Election Night, Cruz will be holding a watch party at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston at 1777 Walker St. Doors will open to guests at 7 p.m. Allred will be hosting a watch party in his home city of Dallas at Longhorn Ballroom, 216 Corinth Street, Dallas. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
The Texas Senate race between Republican incumbent Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Congressman Colin Allred has become one of the most high-profile Senate battles of 2024. Cruz, aiming for a third term, faces a challenge from Allred, a former NFL player and three-term representative from Dallas.
Cruz is running on a platform of limited government, national security and economic growth, according to his website. Allred is running on a platform that centers around defending protections for people with pre-existing health conditions under the Affordable Care Act, taking on big pharmaceutical companies to cap the cost of insulin and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription costs for seniors, according to his website.
The senate race in Texas has been one of the most expensive in the election cycle with both Cruz and Allred raising over $80,000,000 each. As of Nov. 4, Cruz has raised over $86,000,000 with Allred raising just over $80,000,000, according to the Federal Election Commission.
In October, the Houston Chronicle reported the race between Cruz and Allred had become the most expensive senate race in Texas election history. The two men have a combined $165,000,000 in campaign funds that have been raised. On Monday, Cruz made the last stop in his 50-day bus tour in Houston, where he had special guests Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and Congressman Wesley Hunt.
Allred also took the chance to meet with voters as he and his campaign team conducted block walks throughout Texas in places like Fort Bend County, Houston and Dallas.
Voters in Victoria shared their thoughts on the senate race as well as the presidential election. Victoria resident Dale Zuck said there are a lot of similarities between the senate race of Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz.
“It’s pretty much the same election we had six years ago,” Zuck said. “It’s a pretty liberal Texas Democrat versus an extremely conservative Texas Republican, and I think Texas has switched a little bit toward the Democratic center but it definitely hasn’t moved enough for Colin Allred who is even more to the left than Beto O’Rourke was.”