A tight race for U.S. Senate has the candidates on whirlwind tours of Texas.
DALLAS — With less than a week to go until Election Day, it’s all about getting out the vote.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has been rallying in smaller towns and suburbs like Rockwall, Pleasanton, Dripping Springs, and Conroe.
Congressman Colin Allred, the Democrat, spent much of the early days of the final stretch in Houston – venturing out to Prairie View and Rosenberg.
Allred heads to the Rio Grande Valley next, with events scheduled in McAllen, Alamo, and Edinburg. A Saturday night rally in Dallas caps off his week.
Cruz is going to Brenham, Georgetown, Killeen, and Weatherford before Friday’s rallies in Collin and Tarrant Counties.
TCU Political Science Professor Jim Riddlesperger said the locations are not surprising.
“Is Colin Allred going to Houston because he thinks there are more votes there than anywhere else? The answer is, yes! That’s why he’s there.” Riddlesperger said. “Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is looking into more suburban and rural areas across the state.”
Cruz needs to drive up turnout among his base in reliably red areas to counter skyrocketing population growth in urban areas, and Riddlesperger said shoring up support in suburbs is important to try to overcome Democratic growth in those areas.
“Ted Cruz is trying to wrap himself on the coattails of Donald Trump at this point because he thinks Trump is going to win by a comfortable margin in Texas,” Riddlesperger said.
Dallas is Allred’s home, so it makes sense to invest time raising his profile in Harris County – the most populous county in the state.
“It’s not only the largest county, it’s a very democratic county as well,” Riddlesperger said.
Riddlesperger’s three areas to watch on election night match the patterns of campaigning.
He will keep an eye on the suburbs which have become increasingly competitive for Democrats, the Rio Grande Valley where Republicans have seen growth in support, and Tarrant County.
“The very purple – I can say that because I’m at TCU in Tarrant County – the very purple Tarrant County,” Riddlesperger said. “It’s always going to be something for us to watch carefully in Texas politics because it’s a very different county than the other urban counties in the state.”
Cruz won Tarrant County in his first run for Senate in 2012 and then lost it by less than .07% in 2018.
In 2024, Riddlesperger is not making any predictions.
“Only foolish people would say that their crystal ball at this point is very clear,” he said. “Mine is always murky.”