(AUSTIN, Texas) – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has defeated Rep.  Colin Allred, D-Texas, in the closely-watched Texas Senate race, The Associated Press projected Tuesday night.

The election has been high-stakes for Democrats, who donated millions of dollars to Allred’s campaign in hopes of flipping the seat and keeping control of the Senate. Polls showed the Texas politicians neck-to-neck leading up to November. As of Oct. 26, the race was tied between Allred and Cruz was tied, 46% to 46%, according to the GBAO.

“Tonight, the people of Texas have spoken as clear as a bell across our great state,” Cruz said in a speech at his campaign watch party in Houston. “Texas will remain Texas.” 

Cruz, a former solicitor general, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013. His campaign largely focused on issues of border security, fighting against having transgender participants in sports, and the “risk” of Texas being represented by Democrats he considered “extreme.”

During his time as senator, he expanded 529 college savings accounts to allow parents to save for K-12 public, private, and religious education and repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate, according to his campaign website.  Cruz is also credited with filling the district courts with conservative judges who were “arguably the most transformative figures” that paved the way for overturning Roe v Wade,  according to Texas Monthly.

Following the Supreme Court decision, Texas implemented one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, which bans the procedure in nearly all instances.

“This is a momentous day, and yet the fight for life doesn’t end with the Dobbs decision,” Cruz said in a statement after the ruling. “It simply begins a new chapter. I’ve been proud to stand for life in the U.S. Senate, and I will continue to do so as we navigate the path ahead.”

While a Democrat has not won in Texas statewide for an election since 1976, Cruz’s narrow defeat against Beto O’Rourke in a 2018 re-election race signaled a possible shift in the state’s political demographic. According to The Texas Politics Project, 44% of residents surveyed said they believed the state was on the wrong track as of October 2024.

“Tonight, I called Sen. Cruz and congratulated him on his victory. It shouldn’t be remarkable to have to admit defeat, but in today’s politics, it’s becoming rarer and rarer,” Allred said at his election night party in Dallas after announcing he conceded to Cruz.

Allred has served as the congressional representative of the state’s 32nd district in North Texas since 2019. 

Democratic representative Colin Allred is shown talking to a citizen. [Credit: Colin Allred for Senate website.]

Allred served three terms in the seat and prides himself on cosponsoring more than 70% of bipartisan bills. He partnered with Republicans on major initiatives, including passing a one-trillion dollar investment to rebuild Texas roads and bridges and working with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to pass a landmark gun violence reduction bill in 2022, weeks after the Uvalde school shooting.

Polling showed that Texans prioritized issues of border security (22%), the economy (18%), and inflation (14%). However, a higher number (49%) believed that abortion laws should be less strict. In the past, Cruz has supported a federal abortion ban, but as the issue became more tense—both in the presidential and senatorial race—he shied away from discussing his stance on the topic.

During the Texas Senatorial debate on Oct. 15, Cruz was repeatedly asked about his opinion on whether he supports or opposes exceptions for abortion bans in the case of rape or incest. He responded with, “Why do you keep asking me that?” and did not provide a clear answer.

Allred made abortion a key speaking point throughout his campaign, along with ensuring the protection of Medicare and Social Security and lowering the cost of living for Texans. 

“We’re doing an awful lot right in the state of Texas,” Cruz said in the earlier Senatorial debate. “Colin Allred wants to change that. I want to keep Texas, Texas.”