Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has won reelection to a third term, CNN projects, defeating Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred and thwarting a key Democratic effort to gain ground in Texas, a state the GOP has held since 1994.
Democrats viewed Texas as an emerging battleground, and national party groups invested millions to support Allred’s campaign in its final months.
Allred, a former NFL linebacker, made headlines in 2018 when he unseated GOP Rep. Pete Sessions. He attempted to use the state’s abortion policies against Cruz, including ads with Kate Cox, a woman barred from obtaining an abortion by the Texas Supreme Court after her fetus was diagnosed with a fatal genetic condition.
On immigration, Allred attacked Cruz’s record, emphasizing Cruz’s opposition to a bipartisan border agreement and featuring endorsements from border law enforcement officers in his ads.
Despite Democratic hopes, Cruz’s victory builds on his past success. In 2018, he fended off a challenge from Beto O’Rourke, who set fundraising records for a Senate race.
This election, Cruz worked to align Allred with the Biden administration on key issues, including inflation, border security, and transgender policies. Allred responded, “I don’t want boys playing girls’ sports or any of this ridiculous stuff that Ted Cruz is saying.”
Cruz has long been a prominent figure, gaining national attention when he led a government shutdown to try to defund the Affordable Care Act. Although once a sharp critic of Donald Trump, Cruz endorsed Trump early in 2024, showing continued alignment with the former president as Trump secured the GOP primary.
