Cruz and Allred rally voters as early voting begins in Texas Senate race
NORTH TEXAS -- In the competitive Texas Senate race, both two-term Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, Congressman Colin Allred of Dallas, greeted their supporters after taking part in early voting.
Allred spoke outside the Fretz Park Library in North Dallas, three blocks from where he grew up.
"I just want to say thank you very much for being out here. Thank you so much for being involved in this first day of early voting. This is our time; we've got two weeks now to get rid of Ted Cruz," he said.
A similar scene played out at the Trini Mendenhall Community Center in Houston, where Cruz showed appreciation for his supporters and volunteers.
"I want to thank all of these grassroots activists and leaders for being out and speaking out. I believe this election is all about keeping Texas, Texas," Cruz said.
The latest six polls listed on the Real Clear Politics website show Cruz leading Allred by an average of 4.5 percentage points, with the two most recent polls showing higher margins, heading toward the Nov. 5 election. The candidates are focusing on their messages to voters as they campaign across the state.
Allred told reporters, "I've been the most bipartisan Texan in Congress. I want to take that to the Senate. So, to me, this isn't about the past, it's going to be about our future and that's why I think Texans are fired up to vote."
Cruz, in his remarks to reporters, said, "We can't go down the road of the Californias, the New Yorks, the Illinois of high taxes, high regulations destroying jobs. I'll tell you Texans want to keep our families safe and that means supporting law enforcement and securing the border."
On this first day of early voting, voters shared the issues driving them to the polls.
"I'm just excited about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz," Helen Allen of Dallas said. "They're a breath of fresh air, new blood here."
"The economy and border and crime, those three things," Jana Mills, also from Dallas, told CBS News Texas." She said she was voting for those who she felt could address these issues. "The Republicans from the top to the bottom."
Spencer Zeavin of Dallas listed his top three concerns: "The economy, the inflation, the border. I'm voting for Trump and Cruz. I'm a longtime Republican and I believe in their policies."
Jeffrey Wenske of Dallas told CBS News Texas he's voting for the Democrats.
"For me, it's probably just the rhetoric, the divisiveness, the conspiracy theories, the hate," Wenske said. "I'm going to be voting for Harris, anyone against the MAGA stuff."
Despite differing views on issues and candidates, voters agreed they appreciated seeing and didn't mind waiting in the long line of voters having their say this election.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming.
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