Republican Ted Cruz secured his third term in the U.S. Senate by winning the election against Congressman Colin Allred. Cruz garnered nearly 6 million votes across Texas, which was an increase of about 1.7 million votes compared to the 2018 election. On the other hand, Allred received slightly over 5 million votes, approximately 950,000 more than Beto O’Rourke did in 2018.
During the election, Cruz emerged victorious in 235 out of Texas’ 254 counties, falling short of the seven counties that Donald Trump won in the presidential race. However, Allred managed to secure the most votes in Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Tarrant, Webb, Willacy, and Williamson counties. Interestingly, Harris had lost these counties in her contest against Trump at the top of the ticket.
It was observed that Trump outperformed Cruz in almost every county across the state, particularly along the southern border of Texas. Trump’s victory margin of 13.83 points in the state surpassed Cruz’s winning margin of 8.63 points. The contrast was most evident in Duval County, situated between Laredo and Corpus Christi. Trump’s lead of 9.94 points in the county was overshadowed by Allred’s 7.49 point lead in the Senate race, indicating that Trump outpaced Cruz by 17.43 points in Duval County.
Moreover, Trump exhibited stronger performance than Cruz in Texas’ major cities. Trump surpassed Cruz by 6.37 points in Bexar County, 6.3 points in Dallas County, 5.85 points in Harris County, 5.35 points in Tarrant County, and 3.96 points in Travis County. Interestingly, Cruz managed to exceed Trump’s margins in only two rural counties, where he led by 0.69 points in Borden County and 1.43 points in King County.
The outcome of the election shed light on the varying preferences of voters across different regions in Texas. While Cruz maintained his position in the Senate, the election results highlighted the significance of understanding the diverse political landscape within the state. The competition between Cruz and Allred underscored the dynamic nature of Texas politics and the evolving voter sentiments that shape electoral outcomes.
