GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump gave a late endorsement to two-term Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), with Trump saying in October that it was generally understood that he was supporting Cruz’s bid to hold his seat, but that he felt he should finally say it aloud.
Cruz, who ran against Trump in 2016 and called him a “liar” — and who has gone full MAGA since being vanquished by the former President — was grateful for the Trump nod. Cruz may need the help as he finds himself in a close race against Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), a lawyer and former NFL player who has already proven he can get elected in Texas.
The Cruz reliance on the Trump/MAGA brand is so complete that this week, days before the election on November 5, Cruz’s X account shows very little mention of his opponent, Allred.
Cruz’s final push to remain in the Senate is instead being waged through a strategy of pro-Trump and anti-Kamala Harris statements, making it so that Texans see no daylight between the Trump campaign and his own — that they are perceived as one and the same.
In his more than a dozen X posts Thursday, Cruz mentioned Allred just once directly, in an attempt to link him to Harris campaign surrogate Mark Cuban‘s statement about Trump’s purported aversion to strong women.
Does @ColinAllredTX agree with the Kamala campaign that any women who vote for Trump are weak & stupid?
Will anyone ask him?#CantCommentColin https://t.co/eWqaO0wRwM
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 31, 2024
But even here, Cruz quickly reverts to throwing his punches at Harris and, a Trump favorite, Joe Biden. Looking at his X account, it would be hard to intuit that Cruz was in an individual race against his own opponent and easier to draw the conclusion that he is campaigning against Kamala Harris.
He did, however, repost a Team Cruz video in which he accuses Allred of being a “radical” who “votes with Joe Biden.” Cruz’s campaign has concluded that, as the incumbent, aligning himself strongly with the Trump/GOP national effort is more advantageous than confronting Allred too directly.
“Campaigning in Central Texas today, Cruz called Allred a radical who votes with Joe Biden.” — @cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/WmSJzbyIcT
— Team Cruz (@TeamTedCruz) October 31, 2024
Many polls show Cruz with about a three point edge, though the El Paso Times reports that “in the latest Emerson College poll, Cruz received the support of 48% of likely voters, while Allred was close behind with 47%.”
Contrasting with Cruz’s national focus, Allred — while supporting the Harris-Walz ticket — is aiming most of his attacks directly at Cruz, rather than trying to ride a Blue Wave.
I’m a fourth-generation Texan. I know in Texas we believe in freedom. Our freedoms are under attack by folks like Ted Cruz. And in 5 days, we’re going to send him packing.
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) October 31, 2024
Allred’s team seems have concluded that he’s more likely to take down Cruz in deep red Texas without too much Biden/Harris in his recipe, while Cruz has seen up close — and sometimes painfully — that the only candidate that matters anywhere to those who still proudly call themselves Republicans is Donald Trump.
It’s Trump’s party, Cruz knows, and Cruz’s campaign and rhetoric are focused on making people understand that Cruz has received his invitation, and that he’s fully aligned.
I’m running for Senate to represent all 30 million Texans. Ted Cruz has been in the Senate forever and has only been looking out for himself. It’s time for new leadership. https://t.co/spfMIkQg6W
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) October 31, 2024