U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz faced off in their first and likely only debate before the Texas Senate election scheduled for November 5. The debate took place on October 15 in Dallas, lasting one hour and addressing pressing topics such as abortion, Israel’s conflict, inflation, border policies, and housing prices.
Despite their different political views, the debate offered a platform for viewers to observe the candidates’ responses to one another. Allred, a Democrat from Dallas, faces a challenging race against Cruz, a Republican seeking his third term, with current polls showing Cruz with a narrow lead.
The debate began with personal jabs as Allred criticized Cruz for his controversial trip to Cancun during Texas’ severe energy crisis in 2021. “We don’t have to be embarrassed by our senator,” Allred stated, suggesting it’s time for change.
Cruz, initially adopting a cordial tone, quickly accused Allred of evading questions about his voting record and claimed Allred’s campaign aimed to undermine positive developments in Texas.
On abortion, Cruz faced scrutiny over his support for Texas’ strict abortion laws, which lack exceptions for rape or incest. He argued that Texans have largely upheld such restrictions through the ballot box. In contrast, Allred contested Cruz’s assertions, sharing the story of a woman who sought a medically necessary abortion outside Texas due to the state’s laws. He pledged to restore reproductive rights if elected, advocating for enshrining Roe v. Wade.
Cruz, pressed on whether he would support exceptions in specific cases, maintained that such decisions should rest with state legislatures, stating, “I believe in democracy.”
The candidates also debated immigration and border policies. Allred faced questions regarding his previous comments labeling Trump’s border wall as “racist,” admitting he now supports “physical barriers” for security. He claimed Cruz and his Republican allies impeded funding necessary for border resources.
In response, Cruz highlighted Allred’s past votes against the border wall and alleged that he supports “open borders.” He boasted of past successes in lowering illegal immigration rates.
In addressing inflation, Cruz blamed President Biden’s COVID-19 recovery policies for rising costs, linking Allred to these measures. Throughout the debate, Cruz did not propose specific solutions to the economic issues at hand.
Allred acknowledged the struggles Texans face with rising prices and emphasized his efforts in Congress to alleviate costs on healthcare and support public infrastructure investments to meet housing demand in the state. He attributed ongoing challenges to supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic.