After being in the Senate since 2013, Republican Ted Cruz is running for reelection for the third term. But he has been identified by Roll Call as vulnerable to a strong Democratic challenger. This week the race was cast as a "Battleground Election," meaning it’s up for grabs.
In 2018 Cruz came close to losing his seat to Democrat Beto O’Rourke. Cruz held on by a 2.6% margin. Since then, Cruz hasn’t done much to win over moderates and independents. He’s been connected to plots to prevent the peaceful transition of the presidency after the loss of Donald Trump.
All eyes will be on the races for the Senate in the 2024 election cycle. The map favors the Republicans to regain control of the upper body since there are multiple Democrats seeking reelection in Red States.
But due to the unpopularity of MAGA extremism, including the ending of abortion rights, the attacks on LGBTQ, anti-voting rights and support for Trump who is confronted with mounting criminal court battles, the Senate elections could go either way. And that includes here in Texas. But it is clear that a successful challenge to Cruz will require a lot of money. A combined more than 100 million dollars was raised for the 2018 O’Rourke-Cruz race.
It’s likely that’s going to look like chump change in 2024. But which Democrat is willing to step up and take the chance to challenge Cruz?
Democratic Congressman Colin Allred of Dallas has announced he’s in the race. It’s been reported that Texas Senator Roland Gutierrez is planning to run after the state’s legislative session.
The fact that there could be a high-profile primary for the Democratic nomination could be another sign that unseating Cruz is possible.
I have reached out to Senator Cruz’s office multiple times requesting interviews. We have offered a standing open invitation to Cruz to come on the air and discuss his positions and controversies.
I spoke to Allred about running for Senate against Ted Cruz, but I also asked him about the current conundrum in D.C. —preventing the government from going bust on our debt.
EV Texas
For electric car drivers in Texas, the free ride is over. Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a new tax on EV’s.
Texas now requires electric vehicle owners to pay a $400 fee to initially register the car after purchase. Then there is a recurring $200 annual renewal. The law goes into effect on September 1, and does not apply to other electric vehicles like E-bikes or scooters, nor does it apply to hybrid cars.
How should EV drivers feel about this? Is it fair?
Tom “Smitty” Smith is the Executive Director of the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance
