Texas is one of a few Republican-leaning states that have attracted an increasing number of disaffected Americans from Democratic-controlled regions of the country, prompting some native Texans to express concerns that their conservative values will be diluted by arrival of so many newcomers.
While Democrats have gained a foothold in a few liberal bastions, prominent statewide candidates like Beto O’Rourke have had a difficult time taking on Republicans in recent years.
Nevertheless, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is warning that his current re-election campaign could represent a turning point for the state.
Ted Cruz warns 'the country's gone' if Texas turns blue in 2024
READ: https://t.co/VIxo3LNAW4 pic.twitter.com/h45L3huiiq
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 5, 2023
Cruz ran against O’Rourke in 2018 and won by a relatively narrow 200,000-vote margin. Next year, he will take on a well-funded challenger who, if successful, might be a sign that the Lone Star State’s days of GOP control are numbered.
The incumbent issued a stark advisory recently, predicting that the United States itself would be in jeopardy if Democrats dominate his state’s 2024 elections, adding that party leaders on a national level are clearly working to achieve that goal.
“They’re going to spend $100 million the next year trying to flip Texas blue,” he said. “And I’ve got to say, if they succeed, if Texas turns blue, the country’s gone. The rest of the country, we don’t stay up at night wondering what happens with Ohio or Florida if Texas turns blue.”
Citing remarks from Democratic leaders including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Cruz said that his seat is a clear political target and it will be “a real fight” for him to secure another term on Capitol Hill.
It remains to be seen which Democrat he will face off against, but four candidates — U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez, and state Rep. Carl Sherman — are currently running in the party’s primary race.
Allred, who was able to turn his district from red to blue in 2018, might have the best shot of unseating the incumbent, according to Progressive Turnout Project President Alex Morgan.
“You know, because he’s battle-tested, well-known, and well-liked in the state, so he really makes it now where Texas becomes probably our best pickup opportunity across the country next year,” he said earlier this year.
