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Ted Cruz is receiving worrisome news in recent polls as the Texas Senate race heats up

Ted Cruz is receiving worrisome news in recent polls as the Texas Senate race heats up

Ted Cruz's chances of winning re-election to the Senate are becoming increasingly slim. Two recent polls show his Democratic challenger Colin Allred has a chance of defeating the Republican incumbent in a tighter-than-expected race.

A recent poll of Texas voters by Public Policy Polling/Clean and Prosperous America shows Allred leading at 47 percent, ahead of Cruz at 46 percent, after an August poll showed Cruz leading Allred by two points.

These results have a margin of error of 3.5 percent, meaning the candidates are virtually tied.

Another recent Emerson College/The Hill poll shows 49 percent of voters supporting the GOP candidate, with 45 percent supporting Allred. Six percent remain undecided. The results are within the survey's margin of error.

The latest results are based on a Morning Consult poll that found Allred ahead of Cruz by one percentage point for the first time – a gain of 45 percent to 44 percent.

No Democrat has won election to statewide office in Texas in 30 years, but the tight race is now forcing Democratic fundraising arms to spend millions of dollars to send Allred to the Senate. It's an upheaval that could reshape Texas politics and the upper chamber of Congress as Democrats fight to retain their majority in November.

Ted Cruz, who appeared at the RNC in July, is statistically tied against his Democratic rival Colin Allred in the race for his Senate seat in Texas.
Ted Cruz, who appeared at the RNC in July, is statistically tied against his Democratic rival Colin Allred in the race for his Senate seat in Texas. (AP)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is increasing its advertising in the state by $79 million.

“Senate Democrats are expanding the map and going on the offensive,” Senate leader Sen. Gary Peters said in a statement announcing investments in Texas and Florida, where Democrats also hope to oust Republican Sen. Rick Scott.

“Throughout the cycle, the DSCC has been preparing to exploit Sens. Cruz and Scott’s damaged standing in their states – and now our efforts are accelerating in Texas and Florida,” Peters said.

Allred and his joint fundraising committee had raised more than $41 million at the end of June and had another $10 million in cash on hand. Third-quarter numbers, expected at the end of September, are expected to reflect an increase in fundraising.

“Colin Allred has received broad support from Texans and our campaign has gained significant momentum,” Allred campaign manager Paige Hutchinson said in a statement. “Ted Cruz is weaker and more vulnerable than ever because of his failure to secure the border, his extreme abortion ban that puts women at risk, his efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare, and because he has only ever looked out for himself has.” “

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is statistically tied with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the polls as the GOP candidate fights for re-election in Texas.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is statistically tied with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the polls as the GOP candidate fights for re-election in Texas. (AP)

Cruz also appears to be taking the fight seriously, with campaign messages urging financial support as Democrats spend more money than he does. The race is already shaping up to be one of the most expensive in state history, with Cruz's campaign on track to spend $100 million to $150 million.

“We've spent way too much, which is why the polls show it's a one-, two-, or three-point race,” Cruz recently told Fox News radio host Guy Benson. “This race in Texas is a real race. It’s a serious fight.”

Another recent poll from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation shows Cruz leading Allred by just three percentage points, 48 ​​to 45 percent, almost within the 2.83 percent margin of error.

Among Texas Hispanics, Allred has a commanding lead – 50 percent over Cruz's 39 percent.

President Joe Biden's exit from the race for the White House and the rise of Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket “have clearly shaped the contours of the race across the country – even in red states like Texas,” the Texas board said Hispanic Policy Foundation member Regina Montoya.

“The dynamics of the Harris campaign have had a significant negative impact in the Allred vs. Cruz race, with Colin now effectively tied with Cruz heading into the final days of the campaign.”

Cruz and Allred have agreed to their first and only debate on October 15, less than three weeks before Election Day.

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