Ted Cruz projected to win Texas seat in US Senate
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AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to keep the Texas seat in the U.S. Senate, NBC projected Tuesday.
Texas voters decided between Cruz and Democratic Congressman Colin Allred.
Democrats held a narrow majority at 51 to 49. This includes independent senators who caucus with the Democrats.
This race drew national attention and national dollars as Democrats looked for Senate wins to maintain control of the chamber.
See updated results throughout the night below after polls close at 7 p.m.
In the third fundraising quarter alone, Allred raised over $30 million, and Cruz raised over $21 million. Allred’s campaign has raised more than $68.7 million since the start of the Senate race. Tallying up all his fundraising accounts, Cruz’s team has taken in over $40 million in campaign donations.
Polling in late October showed Cruz had a four-point lead over Allred. The survey by The New York Times and Siena College showed that Cruz had 50% support to 46% for Allred.
Allred and Cruz met in Dallas for their only debate less than a week before the start of early voting.
Independent senator from West Virginia Joe Manchin is retiring this year, and polling shows that Senate seat will likely flip red this year. Democrats also face tight races in other states, including Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Maryland.
During the debate, Allred emphasized his work across political lines and tried to contrast his approach with that of Cruz.
“I’ve been the most bipartisan Texan in Congress,” Allred said. “I’m the exact opposite of Sen. Cruz, who’s the most extreme senator in the United States Senate, maybe the most extreme in the last 30 years.”
Cruz used part of his opening statement in that debate to favorably compare Allred’s story to that of his own father, who immigrated to the United States from Cuba. But he quickly cast Allred as someone bad for Texas.
“We’re doing an awful lot right in the state of Texas. Colin Allred wants to change that,” Cruz said, adding, “I want to keep Texas, Texas.”
Cruz has served in the Senate since 2013 while Allred has served in the U.S. House since 2019.