Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned conservatives there is a “real chance” that the state’s contested U.S. Senate seat could flip for Democrats come November, according to a Wednesday episode of Sean Hannity’s radio show detailed in The Texas Tribune.
Cruz Urges GOP to Take Talarico Seriously
During the interview, Cruz told guest host Gov. Greg Abbott (R) that it would be a mistake to dismiss Democratic state Rep. James Talarico’s odds just because of Texas’ deep red roots. “Unfortunately, I do think he has a real chance,” Cruz said of Talarico, who currently represents Texas’ liberal-leaning enclave of Austin.
“I think this is a real race. I think it’s going to be close,” he continued, adding that while he’s still confident Republicans can “keep Texas red,” current polling shows razor-thin margins between Talarico and his opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Democrat’s Appeal and GOP Attacks
Cruz warned listeners that Talarico could win over voters despite being what he called a “radical.” “This guy is also charming. He is affable, he sounds like a preacher, and I worry about the voters who may not be paying close attention to the issues, who just turn on the TV and say, ‘Oh, he seems like a nice young man,’” the veteran senator explained.
The GOP has already been working hard to paint the Democrat as too extreme for Texas, attacking him for once declaring that God is nonbinary and saying there are six different sexes when discussing the biology behind sex chromosome combinations. Republicans have also fixated on the fact that Talarico, whom they’ve nicknamed “Tofu Talarico,” has talked about curbing meat consumption for environmental reasons, a factor behind his decision not to serve animal protein to staffers during his 2022 campaign.
Paxton’s Political Baggage Unaddressed
Cruz, who opted to endorse neither ousted incumbent Sen. John Cornyn nor Paxton ahead of March’s primary, did not address the possibility that the attorney general’s political baggage may weigh Republicans down. Paxton was impeached by Texas’ Republican-led state House in 2023 amid allegations of bribery, abuse of office and obstruction of justice, but he was narrowly acquitted by the state Senate.
