Allred, Cruz fling barbs from opposite ends of Tarrant County a month before election day
.jpg "Rep. Colin Allred (left) and Senator Ted Cruz held dueling Tarrant County rallies ahead of their Oct. 15 debate.")
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Colin Allred squared off on opposite sides of Tarrant County on Saturday ahead of their in-person debate Oct. 15.
Allred held an afternoon event at a music venue near downtown Fort Worth, while Cruz parked his bus tour in the evening outside a barbecue restaurant in Keller.
The rallies come as campaigns enter their final stretch toward Election Day.
Cruz is seeking his third term, while Allred is seeking to become the first Democrat elected statewide in Texas in 30 years.
Reproductive issues, voting rights and the protection of democracy took center stage at Allred’s downtown Fort Worth event. The Dallas County democrat also centered his policy messaging on a need to defeat Cruz in November.
“You have the awesome responsibility and privilege of representing 30 million Texans and you only care about yourself? Get out of the way and let someone else do the job,” Allred said of Cruz.
The representative’s remarks came after those of a half-dozen state and local officials, including former Tarrant County judge Glen Whitley, who announced his endorsement of Allred at the rally.
“[Allred] is a man of character and someone who’s not focused on what it’ll do for him, but what it’ll do for the people that he serves,” Whitley told the Star-Telegram after the event.
Cruz shrugged off the criticism after his event, comparing Whitley to former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
“There are a handful of people for whom Trump derangement syndrome is a real thing,” Cruz said. He then went on to reference endorsements from local Democratic officials including Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez, who’ve supported Cruz for his crime and border policies.
Other speakers at Allred’s event included state representative Salman Bhojani, congressman Marc Veasey, and former state senator Wendy Davis.
For voters Abbey Dudek and Shannon Albert, the rally was a glimmer of hope.
“I loved the lineup and the seniority gearing people up to each candidate,” Dudek said. “That way, too, they’re also educating people about who these candidates are.”
Albert said she feels good about Allred’s campaign, specifically, “I’d call it hope, joy, things to look forward to,” she said.
‘Keep Texas Texas’
Speaking to a packed crowd of enthusiastic supporters at Outpost 36 BBQ in Keller, Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French sounded a cautionary note.
“Tarrant County is in a precarious position,” French said. He referenced how Democrats at the top of the ticket won the county in 2018 and 2020, and noted its rapid growth over the past few years.
“I’m gonna tell you, we have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the communists have their target set on Tarrant County, Cruz said.
“They can’t have it,” he said.
Cruz began his remarks by hammering the Biden administration’s economic policies, blaming them for rising food and gas prices caused by inflation.
“It’s so bad, Hunter Biden can’t afford crack cocaine,” Cruz quipped to laughter and applause from the audience.
Cruz framed the race as a battle between “sane and crazy,” calling Allred “a far-left liberal.”
He pointed to Allred’s voting record, saying he’s been in lockstep with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“Puppet!” an audience member shouted in response.
Cruz referenced Allred’s campaign ads that show the congressman supporting strong border policies.
“[Allred] refers to the wall as, quote, ‘that racist border wall,’” Cruz said, referencing a clip from one of his own campaign ads.
Allred told KXAN in Austin that the quote was taken out of context; however, the station found other clips where the congressman referred to the wall as racist.
“This race is about keeping Texas Texas,” Cruz said.
He promised to cut taxes, cut regulations on small businesses, end the war in Ukraine and support Israel in its was against Hamas.
“This is worth fighting for,” he said.
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 10:19 PM.
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