‘Cruz has long embraced a politics of division’: Texas’ biggest newspaper slams Ted Cruz, endorses his opponent

While it is by no means a lock, Democrats are closer than ever to flipping Texas’ senate seat after the state’s largest newspaper officially endorsed Ted Cruz’s opponent, Colin Allred. In a scathing front-page editorial, the Dallas Morning News laid out a detailed argument why it’s time for Texas to give Cruz the boot.

Cruz has served as the state’s senator since 2012, and he’s always been divisive. Though he won re-election in 2018 against Beto O’Rourke, it was by a rather small margin for such a staunchly conservative state. Cruz’s current race against Allred, a congressman and former NFL player, could be even tighter. In a debate on October 15, Cruz came across flustered and irritable, while Allred was calm and direct. The debate wasn’t a win for Cruz, and the Dallas Morning News’ endorsement of Allred is another hit to his campaign.

Allred has already received endorsements from the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but DMN is a larger publication and could hold sway over more Texas voters.

During the debate, Cruz repeatedly implored viewers to compare his record with Allred’s, and unfortunately for Cruz, that’s exactly what DMN did. Though the publication acknowledged it doesn’t agree with Allred on all points (border security in particular), the endorsement focused on bipartisanship, where Cruz is severely lacking. 

DMN brought up several pieces of bipartisan legislation that Allred voted for and Cruz voted against, including a bill Cruz stubbornly called a “steaming pile of crap,” even though it would have provided resources for border security.

“Cruz has long embraced a politics of division,” the editorial read. “His us-against-them rhetoric has defined his political career since at least 2012.” Even other conservative politicians have criticized Cruz’s extreme partisanship, and DMN pointed out pieces of Republican-backed bipartisan legislation that Cruz refused to support.   

The endorsement editorial stressed that “on the items of crucial importance to our country, [Cruz] digs in in the most partisan mode possible, making no room for common ground.” DMN identified Cruz specifically as the first of six senators to formally object to the certifying of the 2020 electoral vote, and stated, “his actions were a catalyst for what became one of the worst days in our nation’s history.”

Allred, on the other hand, was praised in the endorsement for his willingness to cross the aisle when necessary. Strict partisanship stands in the way of progress, no matter which side you align with, which the DMN sees as a prominent issue this election. Allred far outpaces Cruz in this arena, having been twice voted the “most bipartisan member of Congress” by the Common Ground Committee. “On the most important issues we face,” the editorial asserts, “[Allred] is willing to compromise in the name of solutions and moving forward together.”

Texas is generally considered a sure thing for Republicans, so it’s surprising to see the senate race get this close. To be fair, Cruz is still polling several points ahead of Allred in nearly every survey. However, the gap has narrowed with each month. In July, Cruz was polling an average of 9 points above Allred, then 5 points in August, 3.6 points in September, and 3.5 points so far in October. 

It’s also worth noting that available polling only reflects data collected before October 16. The debate on the 15th and DMN’s new endorsement haven’t been factored in yet, and they could have a big impact on voters. There are only a few weeks left before election day, and it’s still possible (though perhaps not likely) that Allred could pull ahead. Every bit helps, so hopefully the DMN editorial will give Allred’s campaign a helpful boost.