Texas Senate Debate Summary

There was a huge difference when U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz squared off in their first primetime debate this week ahead of next month’s Texas Senate election.

The debate took place on Tuesday, October 15, in Dallas. Moderators quizzed the candidates in an hour-long debate on current topics such as abortion, the ongoing war in Israel, inflation, border policy, real estate prices and more.

To be sure, there was little need for contrast between the two candidates — Allred, D-Dallas, and Cruz, R-TX, hold completely different political views — but the debate offered voters a chance to see how well one could stand up to the other offer.

More: Who won the Senate debate in Texas? Here’s what X had to say about the Cruz-Allred debate

Allred faces an uphill battle in the Nov. 5 election as he tries to unseat the entrenched Cruz, who is now seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate. Given the tight poll numbers, Cruz has a slim lead in the race with just a few weeks to go before the election.

Here are the key takeaways from the candidates’ first – and likely only – debate before Election Day, November 5th.

Taunts about Cruz-Cancun trip, Allred voting record

Neither Cruz nor Allred was shy about pleasantries.

After briefly introducing himself to the Texas audience, Allred immediately rebuked Cruz for his infamous trip to Cancun in 2021, when Texas faced the worst energy crisis in history, leaving millions without power, water or food.

“We don’t have to embarrass our senator,” he said. “We can get a new one.”

More: Texas 2024 Senate Race Polls: Colin Allred trails Ted. Cruz by 3 points

Cruz, for his part, struck a pleasant tone in his opening statement, noting how incredible it was that he, the son of Cuban immigrants, and Allred, who was raised by a single mother, could both have the privilege of representing Texas in Congress.

But that quickly faded when Cruz claimed that Allred was trying to circumvent his own voting record and warned that Allred’s campaign was built on trying to undo everything that is going well in Texas.

Cruz asked about support for Texas abortion ban; Allred quotes Kate Cox

Cruz has been criticized for his support for Texas’ near-total abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, despite previously co-sponsoring a bill that made such exceptions.

Cruz maintained that any disagreements on reproductive rights should be addressed at the ballot box, where he pointed out that Texans overwhelmingly support abortion restrictions such as a ban on late-term abortions and a requirement that parents be notified before a child has an abortion. have supported.

Allred responded by rejecting Cruz’s claim that Texans had reached a consensus on the state’s strict abortion law.

More: Who won the Senate debate in Texas? Here’s what X had to say about the Cruz-Allred debate

Allred, meanwhile, told the story of Kate Cox, who fled Texas to get a medically necessary abortion after being denied medical care in the state. If elected, he will work to restore and enshrine women’s right to vote Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

“When I’m in the U.S. Senate, we will restore a woman’s right to choose,” Allred said. “We’re going to fight Roe v. Make Wade the law of the land again, and we will ensure that these stories of horrific experiences unfolding across our state become a thing of the past.”

Cruz was pressed on whether he supported exceptions in certain abortion cases, but he changed his mind again, saying Allred voted to eliminate parental notification and consent laws and legalize late-term abortions. Ultimately, Cruz declined to say whether he supported broader abortion exemptions, saying those decisions would be better left to state legislatures.

“I believe in democracy,” he said.

Cruz spoke out against expanding exemptions for women who are at risk of death due to a failed pregnancy or who are victims of rape or incest.

“Now when it comes to the law in Texas, that is a decision that will be made by the state legislature,” Cruz said. “You know, Congressman Allred is running all sorts of ads saying I made this decision.”

Cruz Pushes Immigration Votes; Allred says Cruz ‘never showed up’

When it came to the border, Allred was asked about his statement that former President Donald Trump’s border wall was “racist” and should be torn down, only to recently advocate for more deterrent measures at the border.

Allred admitted that he supports “physical barriers” as part of the border security strategy.

He again drew on his experiences spending time in Brownsville with a grandfather who worked as a U.S. customs officer. He criticized Cruz for using the border as a “safari” and noted that efforts to allocate money for more resources at the border have been repeatedly suppressed by Cruz and his Republican counterparts.

More: Colin Allred runs TV ads targeting Ted Cruz on border issues, polls show close race

Cruz noted that Allred has voted against a border wall multiple times and has continually advocated for “open borders” along with Vice President Kamala Harris – who currently has a limited role in setting immigration policy.

He said he and Trump had had “incredible success” at the border, reducing the number of illegal immigrants to their lowest level in 45 years.

Allred took Cruz to task over his previous claims that a border bill in Congress was unnecessary. He chided the senator for advocating for a border crisis but failing to implement solutions during his 12 years in office.

“It’s a pattern,” he said. “He talks tough, but he never shows up.”

Cruz links inflation and COVID-19 spending; Allred cites supply issues

Cruz worked hard during the debate to blame the Biden administration’s post-COVID-19 economic policies for high food and housing prices. He linked Allred to those policies and said he was a strong supporter of the pandemic recovery plan.

Cruz further criticized the plan, saying the White House had been warned that a federal spending spree would lead to inflation. During the debate, Cruz offered no alternative plan to avert the economic hardship caused by Washington’s failure to control the spread of the coronavirus across the country.

Allred acknowledged the plight of Texans struggling to pay for groceries. He said he has worked in Congress to reduce the cost of health care and other basic needs. He called for greater investment in public infrastructure to enable the construction of new housing to meet demand in Texas. Allred said the country is still grappling with supply and distribution issues related to the pandemic.

Adam Powell covers government and politics for The El Paso Times and can be reached by email at [email protected]

This article originally appeared in the El Paso Times: Cruz and Allred fight for Senate seat: a recap of the Texas debate