But aside from probably seeing two super-old white men at the top of the ticket, Texas voters are invested in one particular contest: the election for U.S. Senate.
At the moment, at least, it seems that U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is a safe bet to land the Democratic nomination in the race for the upper congressional chamber. If successful, he’ll go head-to-head with Ted Cruz, Texas’ much-maligned junior senator.
To be sure, there’s always the chance that Allred will get edged out for a spot on the ballot by one of his fellow Dems during the primary. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, for instance, is trying to gain momentum in a stacked field of would-be nominees.
But, out of everyone, Allred appears to have made Cruz the most nervous. His name keeps showing up on the GOP senator’s social media feed.
Here are some recent developments in the Allred-Cruz face-off.
Allred Outguns Cruz in Raising Funds
Democrats are getting their hopes up after Allred’s campaign piggybank reported having more contributions than Cruz. During the last quarter, the former NFL linebacker counted $4.7 million in donations, nearly $2 million more than his Republican counterpart. Some parallels can be drawn between today and Cruz’s last race. In 2018, Democratic contender Beto O’Rourke reportedly raked in more than triple the amount of his GOP opponent during the third quarter.
On Friday, Allred shared a GIF to X (formerly Twitter), displaying various headlines about his fundraising news.
“TLDR: Our campaign is powered by Texans who are ready for new leadership,” he wrote in the post. “Let’s bring it to them.”
TLDR: Our campaign is powered by Texans who are ready for new leadership. Let’s bring it to them. pic.twitter.com/EbTCrpcYXO
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) October 20, 2023
Cruz Lashes Out at Allred on X
Cruz has been taking aim at the Democratic congressman in recent days. In August, Allred posted photos of a campaign stop, writing that Bexar County was “ready to fire Ted Cruz!” At that, Cruz derided the event's attendance size.
“Wow. Six people showed up in San Antonio….,” he wrote on X.
More recently, Cruz shared a post that featured a video of a citizen journalist hammering Allred with questions related to the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S.-Mexico border and “drag shows for children.” Allred tells the cameraman that he’s “on federal property” and that he “can’t do this here.” He also threatened to call Capitol police.
“That’s just false,” Cruz wrote in part. “What’s he hiding?”
This is bizarre.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 19, 2023
Reporters ask Members of Congress Qs EVERY DAY at the Capitol.
I answer reporter Qs every day at the Capitol.
What the hell does he mean, “you’re on federal property; you can’t do this this here?”
That’s just false. What’s he hiding?? https://t.co/hPn28VqeT1
Also this month, Cruz shared an article detailing how a recent Allred-penned MSNBC op-ed had to be flagged with a correction. The Democratic congressman’s original article had “misstated Sen. Ted Cruz’s procedural stance” on the appointment of a nominee for ambassador to Israel, MSNBC noted.
Allred Performing Well in Polls
Look, we know better than to put 100% of our faith in the polls. Remember in 2016 when politicos were all but certain that Hillary Clinton would best then-candidate Donald Trump? Regardless, these snapshots in time help us understand which way the political wind is blowing. Lately, Allred’s back has been feeling the breeze.
In a Sept. 15 story titled “Why Colin Allred Is Going to Make Ted Cruz Sweat,” The New Republic cited a survey that found the Dem was behind Cruz by only 5 percent. The May poll instilled a little optimism in Lone Star liberals.
Of course, in the days leading up to the 2018 midterms, O’Rourke also trailed 5 points behind the Republican incumbent. And we all know how that one turned out.
