2024 is starting to look like it could well be the end of Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) political career, with a new poll showing him with just a narrow one-point lead over his Democratic opponent, Rep. Colin Allred.
According to Newsweek, the poll comes with just a little over a month until voters go to the polls in the Lone Star State.
A Public Policy Polling/Clean and Prosperous America survey of 759 registered Texas voters showed Cruz is ahead of Allred by 47 percent to 46. In a previous August poll, the incumbent led Allred by 2 points (47 percent to 45). The poll was carried out on September 25-26. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.
But perhaps most troubling for Cruz is the fact that he’s underwater when it comes to how the voters view him, with a net favorability rating of 41% favorable and 49% unfavorable. A month ago, Cruz had a favorability of 43%, which suggests he could still be in freefall, always bad news for an incumbent.
Allred, on the other hand, has a net favorable rating of 5 points, with 40% of those surveyed giving him a positive rating and 35% saying they view him unfavorably.
All of this has Cruz struggling to find a strategy that could bolster his chances in the closing weeks of the 2024 campaign, Daniella Diaz of Politico notes.
Money is also an issue for Cruz, with Allred awash in cash.
“Allred is swimming in campaign cash, which has put Cruz back on his heels and forced conservative outside groups to engage. So far, Allred has spent $26.2 million on general election TV ads, compared to about $14.3 million for Cruz. So, two pro-Republican outside groups, including the Club for Growth-linked Win It Back PAC, are jumping in.”
Could Cruz become an also-ran? If so, he won’t have anyone to blame, as Allred is making clear by reminding Texas voters of the incumbent’s past bad decisions.
“Whether talking to voters on the campaign trail or in his TV ads, Allred is seeking to remind voters about Cruz’s jaunt to the Mexican beach during a historic freeze in the state that left millions without heat, water and access to food and is directly related to the death of more than 200 Texans. The moment was met with criticism even from his fellow Texas Republicans and considered a PR nightmare.”
How sweet would it be to see both Trump and Cruz go down in flames?
