By Joe Farkus
NDG Contributing Writer
When Congressman Colin Allred took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on August 22, he struck a distinctly different tone from that of his rival Senator Ted Cruz at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just 5 weeks earlier. In contrast to Cruz’s criticisms of the Biden administration allegedly allowing a “literal invasion” on the southern border, Allred focused his brief message on his own personal story.
“I was raised by a single mom…who often worked two jobs to make ends meet,” Allred told the assembled Democrats in Philadelphia. “So when we talk about lowering costs, I think about the times we went to the grocery store when I was growing up and swiped the debit card and said a little prayer.”
It is more than just a different approach in messaging that separates the two contenders for this Senate seat; there are genuine differences in policy as well. With Texans still grappling with the cost of living, Cruz blames inflation on the Biden administration’s major spending initiatives in the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act and calls for deregulating industries so businesses can create more jobs. Allred has focused his efforts on supporting gender pay equity, increasing the minimum wage and federally funding job training programs.
“Every time Ted Cruz has the chance to lower costs for Texas families, he votes against it,” Allred told the North Dallas Gazette. “I’ll hold corporations accountable for jacking up prices and work to bring down the cost of health care and housing…”
Cruz and Allred have also taken opposing positions on childcare and school safety. Allred supports an extension of the Child Tax Credit to help families cover expenses, while Cruz has consistently opposed it. Allred and Republican Senator John Cornyn supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to expand background checks and fund mental health services, while Cruz opposed it and proposed an alternative bill focusing on more law enforcement and physical security at schools.
“Nothing short of a massive victory for life” was how Cruz responded to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Allred opposed the Dobbs decision and disagrees with Cruz on providing federal protections for abortion. They also disagree on voting rights. While Cruz defends voter ID laws, Allred has led the fight to rewrite the Voting Rights Act and has pledged to combat voter suppression laws.
With the presidential race tightening and Cruz maintaining a lead of 49% to Allred’s 45% in a recent Emerson College poll, his campaign is focusing its attention to the issue it believes will resonate most statewide: immigration.
“11.5 million people have crossed our border illegally under Joe Biden,” Cruz said at the Republican National Convention, “every day Americans are dying. Murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released.”
Cruz backs up his fiery rhetoric with policy proposals like finishing the border wall and supporting ICE agents in deporting undocumented immigrants. In contrast, Allred proposes comprehensive immigration reform that protects DACA recipients and provides a pathway to citizenship to those currently here undocumented.
“We had a bipartisan plan to take these strides forward and Ted Cruz killed it, not because of the policy but because of the politics,” Allred told NDG.” I will roll up my sleeves and work with folks in both parties to get this done.”
Despite voters seeking clarity from candidates on specific areas of policy, heated rhetoric and personal attacks have only escalated the closer Texas and the nation have gotten to Election Day. During remarks at the opening of his DFW campaign headquarters in August, while Cruz deemed Allred and his Democratic opponents “crazy” and “nuts” for their positions on criminal justice reform, a crowd member interrupted and claimed Vice President Kamala Harris is a “deliver worshipper.”
“Well,” Cruz paused, “not only are they that crazy, but Kamala Harris repeatedly, along with Joe Biden, nominated some of the leading advocates in the country in abolishing the police to senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice.”
“Ted Cruz thinks Texans are small, scared and divided,” Allred told NDG, “but if that were true I would not be where I am today with the chance to become Texas’ first Black U.S. Senator.”
With just over a month to go until Texans must choose their new Senator, Allred and Cruz provide two clear and distinct visions and sets of priorities for whoever serves the next 6-year term as US Senator. In a year of political twists and surprises, it is far to say this race is far too early to call.
Both the Allred and Cruz campaigns were contacted for comment, the Cruz campaign did not respond.
