Official candidate announcements and Texas Democratic Party confirmations

Ted Cruz Wins Tight Texas Senate Race, Defeats Former NFL Player Colin Allred

Nov 6, 2024, 02:36 AM

Republican incumbent Senator Ted Cruz has won re-election to a third term in the United States Senate, defeating Democratic challenger and U.S. Representative Colin Allred, a former NFL player and congressman from Dallas, in a closely contested Texas race. The election was seen as potentially deciding the fate of the Senate and served as a barometer for the Republican hold on Texas, a state that has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Allred ran an insurgent, well-funded campaign, aiming to become the first Democrat in 30 years to win a statewide race in Texas. Early election results showed a tight race, with Allred briefly leading with 49.33% to Cruz's 48.78% when 38% of votes were counted, and later Cruz holding a narrow lead of 49.4% to Allred's 48.7% with over 4 million ballots counted. Ultimately, Cruz secured victory with projections showing him leading with 52.3% of the vote. Major news outlets, including Fox News, NBC, CNN, and CBS News, projected Cruz's win, confirming the Republican hold on the Lone Star State's Senate seat. Cruz's victory secures his third term, which will last until 2031, and means Texas Democrats are still looking for their first statewide win in more than 30 years.