On Super Tuesday, Rep. Colin Allred secured the Democratic primary win to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the upcoming November election, setting the stage for a closely-watched race.
With Democrats holding a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate and the likelihood of losing Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat in West Virginia, which is deeply Republican, the stakes are high.
Additionally, two other Democratic senators are up for reelection in states won by former President Donald Trump in 2020, adding to the challenge.
While the odds are against him, Allred’s candidacy against Cruz presents a significant opportunity for Democrats. Texas has leaned Republican for the past three decades, and no Democrat has won a statewide race there in that time.
Colin Allred (Credits: Oregon Public Broadcasting)
However, in 2018, former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke came within three points of defeating Cruz, fueled by a record-breaking $38 million fundraising quarter.
In 2018, Democrats made gains in Texas, flipping two House seats, including Allred’s victory. They also flipped 12 seats in the state House. However, these gains stalled in 2020, with no additional flips, and O’Rourke lost the governor’s race by 10 points in 2022.
Despite regaining control of the House in 2018, Democrats faced challenges in the Senate, losing four seats. Their only pickups were in Nevada, with Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Arizona, with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who later switched to independent.
Sinema announced on Tuesday that she would not seek reelection, adding another dynamic to the Senate landscape. Allred’s candidacy represents a continuation of Democratic efforts to make inroads in traditionally Republican states.
While challenging, his campaign against Cruz has the potential to be a competitive race that could influence the balance of power in the Senate.
