Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) advised Republicans to not assume the Texas Senate race is a guaranteed win for the GOP, drawing parallels to an “energized” Democratic Party during his reelection campaigns. Following Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s primary win against four-term Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Tuesday, Cruz warned Republicans nationwide that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is “dangerous.”“The Democrats believe they have a chance to win the general,” Cruz said on his podcast Wednesday. “I got a message to Republicans in Texas and nationwide: Do not take this general election for granted.”
Cruz said during both of his reelection campaigns, he was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) “No. 1 target in the country.”
“They’ve thrown everything in the kitchen sink trying to take me out and I’ve been there, and they’re getting ready to do that to Ken Paxton,” Cruz said. “There is potentially a real analogy between 2026 and 2018.”
In 2018, Cruz ran against former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a closely watched race in which Democrats hoped to flip Cruz’s seat blue. It was also the most expensive Senate race at the time, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Similar to 2026, Cruz said the left was “enraged” about President Donald Trump and “energized” to turn Texas blue for the first time since Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) won his reelection campaign in 1988.
