Will Texas turn blue? Democrats’ dreams are falling apart with Allred

Polls show Republican Sen. Ted Cruz ahead by 4 to 5 percentage points. But political observers with experience in Texas say the race isn’t as close as it’s been made out to be.

Something about Texas makes Democrats believe it will turn blue in every election, despite so much evidence to the contrary.

Perhaps Texas is the object of progressives’ fantasies and frustrations because of everything strong republicans with oil money, the presence of so much old-fashioned cowboy masculinity, and a booming economy that is eighth largest in the world.

Texas is so conservative that if the state ever turned blue, it would be a huge indicator that America is leaning significantly leftward.

Sorry, liberals. This won’t happen this year. And most likely not in the near future.

Texas isn’t just a red state, it’s a beacon of conservative values. It’s true because that’s what those of us who call Texas home want. We live in a place that reflects our views, and our views are reflected where we live – it is a symbiotic circle with freedom at its core.

Trying to turn Texas blue is a futile exercise for Democrats. But that doesn’t seem to keep them from trying.

Ted Cruz Seeks to Win Texas Senate

Take, for example, the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Dallas Democratic Rep. Colin Allred.

Texas publications and national news agencies quickly noticed how cramped Allred vs. Cruz Senate Race found himself in this election cycle.

I wrote about this in Septemberand then it turned out to be tougher than I expected.

Allred boasts some admirable qualities: He is personable and has worked hard to appear as a moderate Democrat in a red state. (This is the only way he could have been elected in Texas.)

This formula has been tried before, as anyone who has seen a failed political career Beto O’Rourke knows.

After serving several years on the El Paso City Council and then the U.S. House of Representatives, O’Rourke, known in Texas simply as “Beto,” ran for Senate against Cruz in 2018 and lost about 2.6 percentage points. Undeterred, he ran again against Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022 and lost easily. more than 10 points.

Texas Democrats hope Allred can handle it what O’Rourke couldn’t do: Finally secure a Senate seat to represent liberals, most of whom live in urban areas of the Lone Star State.

But A Democrat hasn’t won statewide office in Texas in 30 years.. This was back when Bill Clinton was still in the White House and movie fans flocked to Blockbuster (look, Gen Z) on Friday nights.

For Democrats, O’Rourke’s loss was puzzling. He was charismatic and was enthusiastically supported by Hollywood and the national media. But he ultimately failed for the same reason Allred is likely to fail.

Allred, like O’Rourke, simply does not represent the views of most Texans.

Cruz represents Texans better.

Allred has presented himself as a bipartisan moderate to gain popularity in Texas, but that’s just a ploy. He agrees more with Vice President Kamala Harris’ progressive views than he initially appears.

While in Congress, Allred showed himself to be a typical liberal, voting for measures that increase government spending and expand its impact on our lives, such as Inflation Reduction Act And $2 trillion: Build Back Better Act.

Cruz may not be as likable as Allred or O’Rourke. He can be both boring and cocky. He reminds me of that girl in class who told the teacher that she forgot to give her homework.

Cruz seems at his most human when other conservatives interview him, an understandable trait given the media’s apparent disdain. But it also means that many people don’t see a side of him that is fun and relaxed.

Cruz is an easy target mainstream media to distortas is often the case with conservative politicians. But none of this means he did a bad job or failed to represent his constituents. IN 45%, his approval rating is 5 points higher than his disapproval rating on Tuesday.

Cruz supports policies that lower taxes for Texans, improve local businesses and stimulate military contracts for Texas companies.

Even the US Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Allred in his 2020 and 2022 House races.Now supports Cruz.

Polls show Cruz ahead 4–5 percentage points. But political observers with experience in Texas say the race is not as close as it has been made out to be.

Brendan Steinhauser, an Austin-based political consultant, told me, “I think he’ll top the polls and beat Colin Allred by a larger margin than many expect.”

Texas – American Dream

I interviewed Governor Abbott a few weeks ago and asked him about the Cruz vs. Allred race and whether Texas was turning blue after all. He attributed Allred’s initial impetus to the fact that he began running advertising campaigns long before Cruz.

“So there’s been a political and ideological shift in the state of Texas, but it’s different than what people think,” Abbott said. “Republicans in Texas are winning most of the Latino vote. We’re turning people over to Republicans who have historically been Democrats.”

For many Texans, our state embodies the American Dream: Here we live by our own rules, and freedom is a pursuit that results in happiness.

It’s not just the natural beauty and resources of Texas that make it incredible. It is the conservative ideas reflected in our state and local government that allow his best qualities to shine through. It is, of course, not ideal, and local legislators are not without shortcomings. Despite this, the emphasis on freedom comes from core conservative principles.

So it won’t turn blue anytime soon.

Texas is great not despite its conservatism, but because of it.

Nicole Russell is a columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track.and receive it in your mailbox.