Ted Cruz, Colin Allred make final push to voters | Texas: The Issue Is
With the 2024 election just days away, a lot of focus has been on a Texas showdown for the U.S. Senate between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democrat Colin Allred.
With election day on Tuesday, FOX 26's Greg Groogan and FOX 4's Steven Dial sat down with Cruz and Allred as both candidates made a last-minute push to win voters.
Colin Allred
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 03: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) speaks to the media at a campaign event that saw volunteers man phones on October 03, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas. Recent polling has indicated a tighteni
On Cruz's role in Texas' abortion ban
Allred: "He's responsible, this abortion ban that we have here in Texas. And that's what he doesn't want to talk about. So he's trying to distract folks. But I think Texans are smarter than that. And I think they know what he's doing."
Transgender athletes in sports
Some recent political ads have focused on transgender athletes in sports. However, a recent poll by the University of Houston shows that voters do not consider it as one of their top 10 issues.
Allred says the ads are a "Hail Mary" from Cruz and meant to be a distraction from other issues.
Allred: "This is just an attempt by Ted Cruz to distract from the fact that for 12 years he's done nothing. In fact, he's done worse than nothing. He's prevented things from happening. If you think that we should secure the border, well, I did. I tried to pass a bill for $20 billion to do that. Ted Cruz said no. He's somebody who has taken down every effort that we make to try and fix our broken immigration system."
On recent polling
The most recent Emerson College poll shows Cruz with just over a one percentage point lead over Allred.
The poll spoke with 815 likely voters and had a 3.4 percentage point margin of error.
The poll showed Allred closing the gap against Cruz which was around four points in September.
Allred: "What I know is that when I ran for Congress in 2018, I don't think there was ever a single poll that showed me leading against Pete Sessions, and I beat him by nearly seven points. So to me, the most important poll is going to be on Election Day when they start announcing the vote totals."
What do the headlines say on Nov. 6?
Allred: "'Ted Cruz goes down' and I think it's going to be something that won't be a win for me or for a party. It will be a win for our state because we don't have to have a senator who abandons us when we need the most. We can have one who wants to go to work for you every single day. "
Ted Cruz
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 6: Senator Ted Cruz speaks to supporters as he hosted a law enforcement and public safety rally with law enforcement leaders at King's Bierhaus on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Im
On Texas' abortion ban
Cruz said he agrees with the Supreme Court in allowing state governments to decide the appropriate abortion rules in their states.
Cruz: "Nobody should be surprised that answers that differently than California does. The rules on abortion in Texas are made by the state legislature in Austin, I'm not in the state legislature. The law is signed by the governor. I'm not the governor. By the way, neither is he (Allred), neither of us get a vote on this."
On Senate control and the state of the 2024 election
Cruz believes that not only is control of the next Senate at stake in 2024, but future Senates as well.
Cruz: "Chuck Shumer, right now, has 49 votes to end the filibuster. The filibuster is the requirement that you need 60 votes to take up major legislation.
"Colin Allred has promised to be the 50th vote, the final vote he needs. They would add DC and Puerto Rico as two new states. They would do that because they believe that would give them four more Democratic senators, and they would do that so that Democrats would never lose the Senate.
"Here's what I hope. I hope we have a phenomenal election. I hope we have an election where Donald Trump is reelected and we win a Republican Senate and a Republican House. If that happens, I gotta tell you, the upside is huge."
Border Security
Cruz went on to talk about what he thinks will happen at the border if he wins reelection.
Cruz: "If we have that kind of election, we will secure the border. And by the way, it won't take 6 months or a year. We'll do it in January and February.
"I can be confident about that because last time Trump was president I worked hand in hand with him, and we achieved historic success. We achieved the lowest rate of illegal immigration.
"So, if we win, we'll see tax cuts. We'll see the border secure. We'll see an end to the regulatory assault on small businesses and oil and gas and jobs in Texas."
The 2021 Cancun trip
Cruz received national attention in 2021 when he flew with his family to Cancun, Mexico while Texas was in the middle of a deep freeze.
Cruz: "Yes it is true that that day I was acting as a dad in addition to being a senator. I took my children somewhere where they could be warm. I spent one day there and turned around and came back to Texas. "
A final message to voters
Cruz: "I am more than happy to put my record for 12 years of fighting for Texans and delivering for Texans side by side with Allred's record.
"In Texas we have low taxes, low regulations, small businesses do great and we have lots of jobs. I think this race is all about keeping Texas, Texas."
Texas: The Issue Is - 2024 Election Special
The Texas: The Issue Is 2024 Election Special breaks down the key issues and races across Texas. Senator Ted Cruz and his challenger, Congressman Colin Allred sit down to talk about their race. Plus, a look at the presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and the issues that could drive Texas voters to the polls.
You can watch Texas: The Issue Is every Sunday night on TV and anytime on FOX LOCAL.