Texas Senator Ted Cruz received a key show of support as he seeks to retain his Texas Senate seat in the November elections: that of the union representing the U.S. Border Patrol.
Cruz was officially endorsed during an event in the border town of Edinburg, where he delivered a speech before hundreds of agents and their families at the National Border Patrol Council's national headquarters.
"To have the endorsement, to have the support of the National Border Patrol Council. That's a big deal, because every day you all answer the call, every day you wake up and you go out and fight to keep this country safe. You fight to keep this country safe from some very dangerous characters, from human traffickers, from drug traffickers, from vicious and violent criminals. And I'm here to tell you — you know this already, but I want you to hear it directly — the people of Texas love you," said Cruz during a passage of his speech, according to Border Report.
The senator also criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the border situation, focusing particularly on Vice President Kamala Harris. He said she has not visited the border since taking office and labeled her as the "border czar," a term used by Republicans since she rose to the top of the ticket to connect her with what they describe is inaction to stem the flow of unlawful immigrants reaching the southern border.
Cruz also took to X to celebrate the endorsement, saying he is "honored" by it. "I will never stop fighting against the disastrous open border agenda of the Biden-Harris administration," reads the publication.
I will always back the brave men and women of Border Patrol!
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 21, 2024
It was an incredible honor to receive the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council today. pic.twitter.com/IEObqXMwDH
Cruz will face Democratic contender Rep. Collin Allred in the November elections. The incumbent holds a lead in the latest polls, but the margins vary sharply from study to study.
FiveThirtyEight's survey aggregator shows that, in the latest survey, Cruz has a commanding, 8-point lead. Conducted by ActiVote among 400 likely voters, it shows the incumbent with 54% of the support, compared to Allred's 46%. Another one published mid-July among 589 likely voters has Cruz with a 10-point lead. But a larger one by YouGov, among 1,484 likely voters, only shows a three-point difference (47% to 44%).
Another one by the University of Texas at Tyler Center for Opinion Research, which polled 1,144 registered voters, featured a 43% to 39% scenario.
As the elections near, Allred has begun to spearhead a new initiative to gain support. Dubbed a "Texas Offense," in reference to his past as an NFL linebacker, Allred is set to increase investments and campaign appearances with this purpose.
Allred is keeping national politics at arm's length to advance his campaign. On a recent appearance on MSNBC, Allred was asked about how Harris' ascent to the Democratic ticket may affect his campaign. His response was a polite five-second comment, "Vice President Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and I've known her for some time and I support her nomination."
For the rest of his response, he turned to his opponent, denouncing Cruz's role in blocking the bipartisan border security and immigration bills, opposing abortion access and leaving the state for Cancun when millions of Texans had lost power in their homes in 2021, Texas Tribune reported.
Although he has shown his support for Harris, it has consistently been cautious. When President Biden first dropped out of the race, Allred's office released a statement applauding his legacy, without mentioning the Vice President. His official endorsement then came in the form of a clarification his campaign made to reporters, after Biden and other Democrats showed their support for Harris.
This is a tactic the Cruz campaign has also noticed, as they try to both tie him to Harris's political record but also questioning his motive for keeping distance from her.
Harris has been to Texas several times in July, one of which was in Allred's hometown of Dallas before she announced her run. Allred has not appeared with her during any of her visits to the Lone Star State.
