The only debate between Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and his Democrat challenger, Congressman Colin Allred, was fiery from the jump and didn鈥檛 cool down.
Allred, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018, won the coin flip and chose to go first. In his introduction, Allred highlighted his Texas roots and childhood growing up with a single mother. He also called himself the 鈥渕ost bipartisan Texan in Congress鈥� before slamming Cruz as 鈥渢he most extreme Senator in the United States Senate.鈥�
Cruz, who is hoping voters send him back to Washington for another term, started on a slightly gentler note, by seeming to be congratulatory of Allred鈥檚 upbringing and success. But that was quickly followed by a warning to viewers of the pair鈥檚 only debate 鈥� Cruz said Allred would 鈥渟ay an awful lot of words that sound reasonable鈥� while avoiding pointed questions about his voting record.
Just two minutes into the hourlong debate, it was clear neither candidate would shy away from highlighting why their opponent was grossly unfit for the job.
Early voting begins in Texas in less than a week, making Tuesday night鈥檚 debate the candidates' last-ditch effort to rally their base and possibly convince some undecided voters to cast a ballot in their favor.
Over the last several weeks, polls have shown the candidates within a few points of each other. A poll by the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs showed Cruz in the lead by 4 points.
For Cruz, a win in November would mean his third term as the state鈥檚 junior senator. If Allred won, he鈥檇 become the first Democrat to hold a statewide elected position in three decades.
Cruz and Allred on Abortion and IVF
The debate, which was put on by WFAA in Dallas, kicked off with a question on abortion 鈥� a topic Allred seemed very prepared to talk about. Texas has one of the nation鈥檚 most restrictive abortion laws, without exceptions for rape or incest.
Allred told Cruz he should address 鈥渢he 26,000 Texas women who've been forced to give birth to their rapist's child under this law that you called perfectly reasonable.鈥� Allred also chided Sen. Cruz for celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, something Cruz a 鈥渕assive victory for life.鈥�
Cruz didn鈥檛 directly address his stance on abortion exceptions, saying he doesn鈥檛 鈥渟erve in the state legislature鈥� and that he isn鈥檛 the governor. Cruz then accused Allred of voting in favor of 鈥渓egalizing abortion up to and including the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.鈥�
Throughout the exchange, Allred and Cruz were animated as their opponent talked 鈥� Allred shook his head and, at times, Cruz laughed at Allred鈥檚 assertions.
Allred said, if elected he鈥檇 鈥渞estore a woman's right to choose.鈥� Then pivoted to tell anyone watching that 鈥渨hen Ted Cruz says he's pro-life, he doesn't mean yours.鈥�
Cruz fired back, asking the moderator to make Allred answer questions around his voting record on the issue.
Later in the hour, the candidates also sparred over protections for in vitro fertilization, with each blaming the other鈥檚 party for creating issues around IVF in the first place. This comes after the Alabama Supreme Court that said discarded embryos from fertility treatments were considered children under state law.
Border security for Texas and the country
Another main sparring point on Tuesday was border security, one the biggest topics Cruz and Allred have been discussing on the campaign trail.
The first question on this topic went to Allred, who was asked why he changed his position on border wall expansion. Moderators pointed out Allred was against the idea when former President Donald Trump was in office and called it 鈥渞acist鈥�, but began supporting the expansion plan once President Joe Biden took office.
Allred dodged the question and instead pivoted to how Sen. Cruz a bipartisan border bill earlier this year, which Allred called the 鈥渢oughest border security bill in a generation.鈥� (This has been a common talking point for Allred and fodder for a recent ).
Cruz fired back on Allred鈥檚 own voting record, saying that, 鈥渆very single time there's a serious measure in the House to secure the border, Colin Allred votes no.鈥� Cruz went on to tie Allred to Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, saying both have, 鈥渧oted in favor of open borders over and over and over again.鈥�
The candidates on the economy
Candidates also got a chance to talk about inflation and the economy, issues that Cruz and Republicans have been happy to talk about this campaign season.
Cruz started his portion by blaming inflation on Harris and Allred, saying they spent 鈥渢rillions of dollars we didn't have.鈥�
Allred rebutted that he鈥檚 been 鈥渓aser focused鈥� on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, health care, child care and housing. This also gave Allred a chance to take a dig at Cruz for an attempt to for those on Medicare, which failed in the Senate after passing the House.
Cruz was able to spin that around on Allred and blamed Democrats for killing a plan that former President Trump put in place to make insulin affordable (A statement also used by Trump during his debate with Harris, which was fact checked by and declared false).
When the conversation turned to housing, Allred鈥檚 vision sounded a lot like VP Harris鈥檚 to increase the housing supply.
On the other hand, Cruz blamed the high cost of housing on, 鈥渢he 11.5 million illegal immigrants that Congressman Allred and Kamala Harris have led in with their open borders.鈥�
The debate covered a wide range of additional topics, including the war in Gaza, whether or not participants in the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol should receive pardons and the rising cost of home insurance in areas prone to natural disasters.
A fierce and expensive Senate race
Texas鈥� U.S. Senate contest is one of the nation鈥檚 more hotly contested races this election year. That鈥檚 likely, in part, due to the close win Cruz snagged last time he was on the ballot: In 2018, he beat Democrat Beto O鈥橰ourke votes.
Democrats, who are in the U.S. Senate, see some opportunity in Texas and money has been poured into the race in favor of Allred.
Allred outraised Cruz in the most recent fundraising cycle. Overall, the Texas Tribune reports the two candidates have raised over the course of the campaign so far.
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