(MENAFN- Live Mint) 2024 US Elections: Ted Cruz, the Republican Senator from Texas , has won reelection, defeating opponent and Democratic candidate representative Colin Allred, to keep his Senate seat for a record third term, according to an AP report.
Allred was the Democrats' latest“try at ending decades of GOP dominance” in Texas amid hotly debated issues like abortion rights and immigration, the report added.
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Cruz has secured a third term by appealing to Texans as a“get-things-done” legislator, the report said. AP added that though the votes were still being tallied early on November 6, it called the race because Cruz had a double-digit lead over Allred.
Notably, Cruz's victory has helped Republicans secure control of the United States Senate for the first time in four years.
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Cruz addressed supporters in Houston late on November 5, saying,“Tonight, the people of Texas have spoken, and their message rings clear as a bell across our great state: Texas will remain Texas.”
The crowd held up signs reading“Keep Texas Texas.”
Cruz thanked his wife and his supporters. Cruz also thanked Allred for a hard-fought campaign and pledged to protect the freedoms and values of all Texans, including those who didn't support him.
“I want to say to all of those who didn't support me, you have my word I will fight for you, your jobs, your safety and for your constitutional rights,” he said.
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Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas ' first Black senator, carried a moderate banner while mostly keeping both Vice President Kamala Harris and progressive supporters at arm's length. He touted the endorsements of Republicans - including former Rep Liz Cheney - and ran as a champion of abortion rights in a state with one of the nation's strictest bans.
Allred was a star high school athlete from Dallas who played linebacker at Baylor University in Waco before a career in the NFL and then as a civil rights attorney. He also had experience defeating a Republican incumbent, having won a US House seat in Dallas in 2018, which was held for more than two decades by GOP US Rep Pete Sessions.
In his concession speech at his watch party in Dallas, Allred said he called Cruz and congratulated him on his victory .
“It shouldn't be remarkable to have to admit defeat,” he said.“You can't just be a patriot when your side wins. Tonight, we didn't win, but we will continue to be patriots.”
This is the latest failed attempt for Texas Democrats , who haven't won a statewide race in 30 years, the country's longest losing streak, the AP report noted.
Despite Texas' reliably red reputation, Democrats had hoped to take advantage of the state's shifting demographics that include growing Hispanic and Black populations and an influx of residents from other states.
(With inputs from AP)
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