Ted Cruz-Colin Allred: Where the candidates stand on the issues
Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are locked in a tight race to represent Texas in the United States Senate.
Polls show Allred and Cruz are only separated by a few points.
Here is what you need to know about the candidates and where they stand on the key issues that matter most to Texans, according to a recent poll from the University of Texas at Austin-Texas Politics Project.
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Ted Cruz Biography
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership meeting on November 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The meeting comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump becoming the fir
Ted Cruz is looking for a third term in the United States Senate.
Cruz has represented Texas in Washington since 2013.
Before becoming a Senator, Cruz served as a policy advisor for then-governor George W. Bush, an associate deputy attorney general in the Department of Justice and worked as the Texas Solicitor General.
During his time as Solicitor General, Cruz argued on behalf of the state in front of the Supreme Court.
Cruz ran for president in 2016 and won primaries in 11 states. He dropped out of the race after it became clear Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee.
Colin Allred Biography
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 22: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party support
Allred has served as a Congressman for the Dallas area since 2019.
Allred defeated Pete Sessions to win the seat in Texas' 32nd congressional district.
The seat had been held by Sessions, a Republican, since its creation in 2004.
Allred has also worked as a civil rights attorney and in the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration.
BALTIMORE - OCTOBER 5: Colin Allred #56 of the Tennessee Titans warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens on October 5, 2008 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by: Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Before that, Allred was a football player. He played linebacker at Dallas ISD's Hillcrest High School, Baylor University and sparingly with the Tennessee Titans for four seasons.
Immigration and Border Security
Allred
"Our current immigration system is broken," reads a section of Allred's campaign website.
Allred says the issue has always been close to him. His mother was raised in Brownsville and he says he spent summers visiting his grandmother in the Rio Grande Valley.
On immigration, Allred has voted for a legal pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, has called for families to not be separated at the border and says he wants to work with countries in Central and South America to find and fix the reasons behind people coming to the US illegally.
He also supports hiring more immigration judges to speed up the asylum process.
Ted Cruz has poked at the Dallas Congressman, claiming that he has only begun to care about the border since it became a negative political issue.
He has criticized his opponent, saying Allred has voted against the border wall three times in his time in Congress. Allred campaign ads now show him in front of a section of a wall at the border.
Cruz
The border has been one of Cruz's main talking points during his campaign.
His campaign has featured ads with the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was allegedly assaulted by two Venezuelan men in the country illegally.
Cruz proposed the Justice for Jocelyn Act in July. The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to take all possible efforts to keep people in the country illegally in custody or monitored.
Cruz opposed a bipartisan immigration bill that was proposed earlier this year.
He says the bill did little to fix the problems at the border and could have made the situation worse.
Allred has criticized Cruz, saying that his opponent did little to improve the situation at the border in his previous two terms in the Senate.
"Every time there's been a bipartisan effort to reform the immigration system or to just have border security, he's helped take it down," Allred told FOX 4's Steven Dial. "He took that one down or earlier this year when we had $20 billion specifically slated for border security that no state would have benefited more from than Texas, and he took that down."
Cruz argues that Democrats like Allred have blocked his border bills.
Cruz was endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council.
Economy
Allred
Allred has campaigned on his economic record, especially his efforts to help small businesses.
In 2020 and 2022, Allred won the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Advocate for American Business Award.
The award is given in recognition of pro-business policies and bipartisanship.
One of Allred's biggest talking points is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, which provides billions to improve American infrastructure and creates jobs in the process.
Allred has pushed for raising the minimum wage and voted for the Paycheck Fairness Act, which looks to address the gender pay gap.
In 2019, Allred became the first known member of Congress to take paid paternity leave.
He has called for a nationwide program to do the same for workers across the country.
Cruz's campaign claims that Allred's economic record in the House has hurt Texans.
"Colin Allred’s approach to economics can be summed up in three basic principles: Spend more, borrow more, and build up more debt for the American people," said a Cruz campaign spokesperson.
Cruz
Ted Cruz says from the moment he arrived in Washington his number one priority has been to fight for jobs.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have endorsed Ted Cruz in the race.
"Sen. Cruz is a strong advocate for pro-growth policies and has introduced legislation to eliminate job-killing regulations and cut through bureaucratic red tape so Texas’ small business owners can create more job opportunities for hardworking Texans," reads Cruz's website.
Cruz has made it no secret that he is looking to make tax cuts passed under Donald Trump in 2017 permanent.
In his time as Senator, Cruz has defended measures to abolish the IRS, put a flat tax in place and to clean up the tax code.
Collin Allred's campaign has criticized Cruz for voting against expansions to the Child Tax Credit, which passed the House, but stalled in the Senate.
"I’m fighting for tax cuts for hard-working Texas families. But Ted Cruz is going to vote with his donors and raise taxes on middle-class families because he doesn’t care about us," Allred said.
Gun Safety
Allred
Colin Allred says he strongly supports the right for Texans to own firearms, but says there are "common sense" steps to improve safety.
Allred's campaign is touting efforts like the bipartisan gun legislation spearheaded by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn after the shooting in Uvalde. The bill, which Allred voted for, strengthened background checks and expanded mental health services. Cruz was among 33 senators to vote against the bill.
Allred is also pushing for safe storage laws for guns to keep firearms out of the hands of young children.
"We can respect the 2nd Amendment while taking common-sense steps to protect our kids and save lives – steps that will have no effect on responsible gun owners," reads Allred's website.
Cruz
Ted Cruz considers himself a champion for Second Amendment rights.
"What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys," said Cruz at a 2022 NRA event.
Cruz has pushed back against gun legislation, saying efforts should instead focus on violent criminals.
Ted Cruz has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund.
Abortion
Allred
Abortion is one of the key issues in Colin Allred's campaign.
Allred is pushing to restore Roe v. Wade protections to abortion access and overturn restrictive abortion laws like the ones passed in Texas.
Women affected by Texas' near-total abortion ban and doctors have appeared in ads for Allred.
"Colin trusts women to decide if and when to start a family – and to make their own health care decisions," reads his website.
Cruz
Ted Cruz has been a vocal opponent of abortion during his time in the Senate.
Cruz called the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, "nothing short of a massive victory for life, and it will save the lives of millions of innocent babies."
Cruz previously co-sponsored a 20-week federal abortion ban and a 2023 bill that would allow a state to block Medicaid funding to medical providers if they provided abortions. Neither bill was passed.
Some states, like Alabama, have used the Dobbs decision as a way to place more restrictions on IVF. Senator Cruz filed a bill meant to protect in-vitro fertilization (IVF) access earlier this year, but it was blocked by Democrats.
Health Care
Allred
Affordable healthcare access has been another top issue for Allred.
Allred has campaigned on expanding access to Medicaid for Texans, lowering prescription drug costs and holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for price gouging.
The Congressman says he hopes to pass measures to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and supports a public option to let Texans buy into Medicare.
Cruz
Since Cruz was first elected to the Senate, he has called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Cruz says his health care plan includes allowing people to buy insurance across state lines and expanding Health Savings Accounts.
"By considerably expanding HSAs, Texans—and all Americans—will gain access to more portable, individualized healthcare. American people should be able to manage their own healthcare, not the bureaucracy," said Cruz in 2023 after filing a bill to expand Health Savings Accounts. The bill stalled in the Senate Finance committee.
Cruz says he is also looking to bring prescription drug production back to the United States.
Energy
Allred
Colin Allred wants Texas to lean into clean energy like wind and solar to keep its status as the number one energy-producing state.
The Congressman says he wants the state to lead on renewable and clean energy to create job and combat climate change.
Allred says he will continue to "support responsible oil and gas production."
Ted Cruz has been skeptical about Allred's support for the oil and gas industry, saying the Congressman has flip-flopped on his energy record.
"When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came into office, they have waged a war against oil and gas and energy in the State of Texas and Colin Allred over and over and over again has voted against oil and gas jobs in Texas," Cruz said.
Cruz
Ted Cruz says he will continue to fight to protect Texas' oil and energy jobs.
"Texas is the energy capital of the United States, and protecting the energy industry is a top priority for Texas voters. The industry is the reason Texas is an economic powerhouse, and it provides countless jobs for Texans," said a Cruz campaign spokesperson in a statement.
The American Energy Alliance has endorsed Cruz in the race.
Social Security
Allred
Colin Allred says he will work to protect Social Security for Texas seniors who have spent their lifetime paying into the program.
The Congressman says he opposes efforts to privatize Social Security and will work to keep the program solvent for future generations.
"We can address it by growing the overall pie, and this is something I’ve always been focused on, which is getting more workers into the system," Allred told the AARP.
Cruz
Ted Cruz has called for the reform of Social Security.
"I’ve spent my whole career in the Senate fighting for seniors’ Social Security and long-term benefits," Cruz told the AARP.
In the past, Cruz has called for a gradual increase in the Social Security age.
Allred has criticized Cruz over the comments, running ads including the soundbite.