Dems Rally for Final Effort in Texas Senate Contest
Democratic Rep. Colin Allred is receiving assistance as he approaches the final stretch of his campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz.
TroibNews 
Democrats are making urgent investments in the Texas Senate race as they confront challenging odds in their efforts to maintain a majority in the chamber.
The Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Chuck Schumer, announced a $5 million advertising investment in Texas on Thursday, just under two weeks ahead of the election. So far, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has allocated approximately $13 million for television ads in this race, with plans to spend “several million more” in the closing weeks. Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to rally with Democratic candidate Rep. Colin Allred in the state on Friday.
This development signifies strong backing, particularly in light of the obstacles Texas Democrats have encountered. With other Senate races looking grim for Democrats, especially in Montana, there is optimism that Texas represents a critical opportunity to retain control of the chamber.
Recent polling indicates that Allred is close to challenging incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, prompting some Democrats to express concern that the national party might overlook a significant chance to flip the state.
“We’re all working really hard to make sure that Colin pulls this off,” remarked Democratic Texas Rep. Greg Casar. “But if he does, then Colin and Texas really did it on our own, without the level of national help that I think we really deserved.”
Historically a stronghold for Republicans, Texas stands as one of the few viable prospects for Democrats to gain a Senate seat this year, alongside Florida, which is viewed as potentially even tougher for the party. A narrow loss for Allred could lead to considerable regret among party members about missed opportunities. Even the timing of the recent investments might be interpreted as insufficient.
Party members have been urging leaders for weeks to amplify efforts and devote more resources to Texas.
“I want to see all the resources we can get for Colin Allred,” stated Rep. Lloyd Doggett. “He is within the margin of error, and I think this is our best chance in years to win a Senate seat in Texas.”
To date, Allred has raised over $80 million, according to his campaign, bolstering optimism about his financial capacity to compete. On Thursday, he announced raising $11 million in just the last 16 days. However, despite his impressive fundraising—partly attributable to Cruz’s polarizing nature—the vast and expensive media markets of Texas combined with the state’s large geography complicate voter outreach and turnout efforts.
Moreover, Texas is frequently perceived as a significant source of funding for national races. State Democrats assert that when they seek support in return, it often falls short.
“They only parachute in to take money out,” Democratic Texas state Rep. Gene Wu remarked about national Democrats, prior to the latest investment announcement. “They never put anything back. And people say: ‘Well, why doesn’t Texas flip? Why doesn’t Texas turn blue?’ It’s because there’s no investment.”
DSCC spokesperson Amanda Sherman Baity stated that “the DSCC has made our largest ever investment in Texas, tens of millions more than we have ever spent against Cruz.”
“All cycle long, we’ve been making investments and preparing to take advantage of this offensive opportunity,” Sherman Baity added.
Allred’s spokesperson Josh Stewart emphasized that the “DSCC has been an invaluable partner” and insisted that “Allred has built a campaign to win.”
Another consideration for Democrats: Securing this seat could pave the way for the state’s 2026 Senate race, when incumbent Sen. John Cornyn will seek reelection. While Cruz is generally viewed as a more vulnerable target than Cornyn, the latter may face challenges from the right within his party.
“The reality is that when you just look out into the state of Texas and start adding up the voters, there just tend to be more Republican voters than Democratic voters,” remarked Joshua Blank, director of the Texas Politics Project.
Republicans, however, remain confident. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Philip Letsou criticized Allred for campaigning with Harris, calling it “no surprise” and adding, “Allred and Harris will turn Texas into California if given the chance.”
“I hope they spend all their money there,” Cornyn, who is vying to lead the Senate GOP next year, said of Democrat efforts in Texas. “Because they’re going to lose.”
This report was contributed to by Ally Mutnick, Daniella Diaz, Nicholas Wu, and Anthony Adragna.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Chuck Schumer, announced a $5 million advertising investment in Texas on Thursday, just under two weeks ahead of the election. So far, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has allocated approximately $13 million for television ads in this race, with plans to spend “several million more” in the closing weeks. Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to rally with Democratic candidate Rep. Colin Allred in the state on Friday.
This development signifies strong backing, particularly in light of the obstacles Texas Democrats have encountered. With other Senate races looking grim for Democrats, especially in Montana, there is optimism that Texas represents a critical opportunity to retain control of the chamber.
Recent polling indicates that Allred is close to challenging incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, prompting some Democrats to express concern that the national party might overlook a significant chance to flip the state.
“We’re all working really hard to make sure that Colin pulls this off,” remarked Democratic Texas Rep. Greg Casar. “But if he does, then Colin and Texas really did it on our own, without the level of national help that I think we really deserved.”
Historically a stronghold for Republicans, Texas stands as one of the few viable prospects for Democrats to gain a Senate seat this year, alongside Florida, which is viewed as potentially even tougher for the party. A narrow loss for Allred could lead to considerable regret among party members about missed opportunities. Even the timing of the recent investments might be interpreted as insufficient.
Party members have been urging leaders for weeks to amplify efforts and devote more resources to Texas.
“I want to see all the resources we can get for Colin Allred,” stated Rep. Lloyd Doggett. “He is within the margin of error, and I think this is our best chance in years to win a Senate seat in Texas.”
To date, Allred has raised over $80 million, according to his campaign, bolstering optimism about his financial capacity to compete. On Thursday, he announced raising $11 million in just the last 16 days. However, despite his impressive fundraising—partly attributable to Cruz’s polarizing nature—the vast and expensive media markets of Texas combined with the state’s large geography complicate voter outreach and turnout efforts.
Moreover, Texas is frequently perceived as a significant source of funding for national races. State Democrats assert that when they seek support in return, it often falls short.
“They only parachute in to take money out,” Democratic Texas state Rep. Gene Wu remarked about national Democrats, prior to the latest investment announcement. “They never put anything back. And people say: ‘Well, why doesn’t Texas flip? Why doesn’t Texas turn blue?’ It’s because there’s no investment.”
DSCC spokesperson Amanda Sherman Baity stated that “the DSCC has made our largest ever investment in Texas, tens of millions more than we have ever spent against Cruz.”
“All cycle long, we’ve been making investments and preparing to take advantage of this offensive opportunity,” Sherman Baity added.
Allred’s spokesperson Josh Stewart emphasized that the “DSCC has been an invaluable partner” and insisted that “Allred has built a campaign to win.”
Another consideration for Democrats: Securing this seat could pave the way for the state’s 2026 Senate race, when incumbent Sen. John Cornyn will seek reelection. While Cruz is generally viewed as a more vulnerable target than Cornyn, the latter may face challenges from the right within his party.
“The reality is that when you just look out into the state of Texas and start adding up the voters, there just tend to be more Republican voters than Democratic voters,” remarked Joshua Blank, director of the Texas Politics Project.
Republicans, however, remain confident. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Philip Letsou criticized Allred for campaigning with Harris, calling it “no surprise” and adding, “Allred and Harris will turn Texas into California if given the chance.”
“I hope they spend all their money there,” Cornyn, who is vying to lead the Senate GOP next year, said of Democrat efforts in Texas. “Because they’re going to lose.”
This report was contributed to by Ally Mutnick, Daniella Diaz, Nicholas Wu, and Anthony Adragna.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
