All at Once, Ted Cruz Is the Last Statewide Republican Lawmaker Standing in Texas
Quick Look
- Ted Cruz, re-elected to the U.S.
- Senate in 2024 by an 8.5-point margin over Democrat Colin Allred, said Texas will return to ruby-red status despite Democratic gains in the state, including 41 House seats won by Democrats in 2018.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Ted Cruz first won his Senate seat in 2012, beating Democrat Paul Sadler by 16 percentage points. He was re-elected in 2018 by a 2.5-point margin over Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke. In 2024, during a presidential election year when Donald Trump won Texas by nearly 14 points, Cruz defeated Democrat Colin Allred by an 8.5-point margin.
Cruz, who campaigned heavily for Republicans leading up to the midterms, first won his Senate seat in 2012, when he beat out Democrat Paul Sadler by 16 percentage points. He was re-elected by a far slimmer margin in 2018, however, defeating Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke by only 2.5 points.
That year, Trump’s first midterms as president, Republicans gained two Senate seats to expand their majority, but lost the lower chamber, in which Democrats gained 41 seats.
In his most recent Senate battle in 2024, a presidential election year that saw Trump win Texas by nearly 14 points, Cruz safely defeated Democrat Colin Allred by an 8.5 point margin.
Despite the sweeping defeats his party suffered in the state, Cruz remained optimistic that Texas would return to its prior ruby-red status.
“Texas will be red again,” he said. “It is dark right now, but it is always darkest before the dawn. And morning is coming. That is my fervent prayer. And that is my commitment to you.”
Open Questions
- What specific factors does Cruz believe will cause Texas to return to ruby-red status?
- What is Cruz's timeline for Texas returning to ruby-red status?
- What specific actions is Cruz taking to help Texas return to ruby-red status?
