Ted Cruz and Colin Allred wage another big US Senate fight in Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Attack ads on every TV break. Campaign money pouring in. And on a sunny Saturday, a crowd stretching out the door for a campaign rally at Tulip's, a popular Fort Worth nightclub — this time for Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker trying to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Texas is having one of those Octobers again.

With Democrats defending twice as many Senate seats as Republicans, Allred's bid could be their best chance to flip a seat next month and preserve their thin Senate majority. Cruz is imploring Republican supporters to take the challenge seriously, six years after his narrow victory over Beto O’Rourke revealed fault lines for Republicans after decades of dominance in Texas.

But Allred, who would become Texas’ first Black senator, is doing things his own way. Out for more than the moral victories Texas Democrats have settled for since 1994 — the last time they won a statewide election — Allred has run to the center and away from O’Rourke’s barnstorming and break-the-rules blueprint. The different look has frustrated some Democrats, but amid signs of a competitive race with less than a month to go, Allred is sticking to the script.

“Beto didn’t win, but he was successful,” said Ryan Armstrong, 21, who was registering voters outside Tulip’s on a clipboard still adorned with a “Beto for Texas” sticker. “I have a lot of hope that (Allred) will win, but I honestly don’t know if he’s done enough.”

Allred, a three-term congressman from Dallas, is by nature a far different candidate than O’Rourke, an electrifying orator who was quick to hop up on a table to fire up a crowd and road-tripped across all 254 counties. Allred describes himself as someone who “keeps a cool head” and presents himself as a bipartisan problem-solver. To win with that low-key approach, he'll need enthusiasm generated by Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket even as he sets himself apart from her in a state former President Donald Trump is expected to win handily.

“Colin has to outperform Harris, so that’s a little more delicate for him than it was for us,” said David Wysong, a top O'Rourke adviser during his 2018 run against Cruz.

Allred boosts his moderate credentials by touting endorsements from prominent Republicans, including former U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.

Other factors also could work in Allred's favor. Most notably, there's the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to strip away constitutional protections for abortion, a ruling that paved the way for Texas to outlaw nearly all abortions. That has been a winning issue for Democrats ever since, even in red states like Kentucky and Kansas.

Allred has featured abortion rights in his campaign, highlighting the personal story of Kate Cox, a Texas woman forced to flee the state to get an abortion after doctors determined her fetus had a fatal condition for which there are no exceptions under Texas law.

He has also not let up on Cruz's family vacation to Mexico during a deadly winter storm that crippled the state's power grid and is likely to remind voters again when the candidates debate on Oct. 15.

Cruz, meanwhile, has transformed from selling himself as an unapologetic partisan who showed little interest in governing when he arrived in Washington to a get-things-done Republican holding the line against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats. He remains just as combative, attacking Allred as a “radical leftist” and linking the congressman to immigration problems and transgender rights.

“Let me tell you, Chuck Schumer and the communists have set their targets on Tarrant County,” Cruz told a packed house of supporters at Outpost 36, a barbecue restaurant in the Fort Worth suburb of Keller.

“They can’t have it,” he said, prompting cheers from people waving Cruz signs that read “Keep Texas Texas.”

Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth and the fast-growing suburbs surrounding it, is the kind of place Allred needs to win big in. Races here have been close in recent cycles, with O’Rourke topping Cruz by less than 1 percentage point in 2018 and President Joe Biden winning the county by a similar margin four years ago.

“Six years ago it was a real battle, and this year it’s a real battle,” Cruz said. “It’s not complicated. If you are a hardcore partisan Democrat, after Donald Trump there’s nobody in the country you want to beat more than me.”

And while O'Rourke's Senate campaign in 2018 may have provided some kind of statewide roadmap for Democrats, he lost in his attempt to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott two years ago by more than 10 percentage points.

The amount of money being spent by both sides hints at the race's national significance.

According to AdImpact, which tracks spending on advertising, the $120 million both parties are spending on the Texas U.S. Senate race is set to exceed the roughly $40 million either paid for or reserved in the Florida Senate race, another top target for Democrats. But it pales in comparison with races in Montana and Ohio, where total spending exceeds $700 million on races in which Democrats are defending seats in red-leaning states.

Part of the heavy spending in Texas is attributable to its size, with 20 separate television markets, including two of the largest and most expensive in the country in Dallas and Houston.

“I think part of it also reflects the fact that Allred has been very successful raising money, and he’s been spending quite a bit of that on TV advertising,” said Mark Jones, a Rice University political science professor. “National Democrats have not yet demonstrated the same level of enthusiasm and optimism as the Allred campaign. Part of that may be that they’re still trying to figure out the difficult calculus of combining defense, which they’re far more focused on, and offense."

Allred’s resume seems perfect for the Lone Star State. A star high school athlete from Dallas, he played linebacker and was captain of the football team at Baylor University in Waco. After his NFL career, he worked as a civil rights attorney.

He also has knocked off a high-profile Republican, having defeated Rep. Pete Sessions after he'd spent more than two decades in Congress in 2018. That campaign drew considerable energy from O'Rourke's bid to unseat Cruz, who beat the former El Paso congressman by less than 3 percentage points.

Still, running a successful statewide campaign comes with a higher degree of difficulty, and Allred's approach has left some Democrats scratching their heads. In Laredo, for example, a fast-growing county along the U.S.-Mexican border, some Democrats wonder where he's been.

“He’s done absolutely nothing, nothing to appeal to our voters,” said Sylvia Bruni, chair of the Webb County Democratic Party. “As far as he’s concerned, apparently we’re not worth the time.”

Allred defends his strategy, saying the political landscape has shifted.

“I’m a different candidate and this is a very different year,” he said. “We have different issues that have happened since 2018.”

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Lozano reported from Houston. Leah Askarinam of the Decision Desk contributed from Washington.

A person waits for the start of a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rafael Cruz, top center, the father of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, gives a prayer to a crowd during a campaign event for Sen. Cruz, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A person uses a cell phone to capture images of a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. R (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Employees of a restaurant, top right, listen with a crowd during a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

People stand inside of a restaurant during a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, cheer during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Hats with the likeness of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump are seen at a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A security official stands near a bus during a campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, acknowledges supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, waves to supporters at a campaign event at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Supporters cheer at a campaign event for Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Supporters attend a campaign event for Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, addresses supporters during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Keller, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, speaks to supporters at a campaign event at Tulips FTW, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Desiree Rios)

This combination photo shows Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago, left, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sept. 27, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama had frank words for Black men who may be considering sitting out the election.

“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that,” he said Thursday to Harris-Walz campaign volunteers and officials at a field office in Pittsburgh.

America's first Black president touched a nerve among Democrats worried about Vice President Kamala Harris' chances of becoming the second.

Harris is counting on Black turnout in battleground states such as Pennsylvania in her tight race with Republican Donald Trump, who has focused on energizing men of all races and tried to make inroads with Black men in particular.

Obama's comments belie that Black men still overwhelmingly back Harris. But her campaign and allies have worked hard trying to shore up support with this critical group of voters — and addressing questions about potential misogyny.

Black Americans are the most Democratic-leaning racial demographic in the country, with Black men being outpaced only by Black women in their support for Democrats.

A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 Black voters had a favorable view of Harris and preferred her leadership to that of Trump on several major policy issues including the economy, health care, abortion, immigration and the war between Israel and Hamas.

There was little difference in support for Harris between Black men and Black women.

But Khalil Thompson, co-founder and executive director of Win With Black Men, said he agreed with what he saw as Obama's larger point.

“I believe President Obama is speaking to a tangible, visceral understanding of what it means for all men to relate to women in America. Calling out misogyny is not wrong," said Thompson, whose group raised more than $1.3 million for Harris from 20,000 Black men in the 24 hours after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race in July and made way for Harris.

Win With Black Men has organized weekly calls and events meant to bolster Harris' standing with Black men. The flurry of activism has focused on combating misinformation in Black communities about Harris, as well as an emphasis on the policy priorities of Black men, which the group found are often centered on greater economic opportunities, safe communities, social justice policies and health care, particularly for the partners and children of Black men.

“We’re not a monolith," Thompson said. “However, we are just like every other American in this country who wants a good paying job, that we can provide for our children and participate in their lives and the lives of our partner, that we can get them home safely, afford to go to the grocery store, save a little for retirement and have a vacation.”

Harris said she believes the votes of Black men must be earned, like with any group of voters.

Black men “are not in our back pocket,” she told a panel hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in September.

Harris recently sat down with the “All The Smoke” podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson to discuss her racial identity and policy issues of interest to Black men. On Tuesday, Harris will appear in Detroit for a live conversation with Charlamagne tha God, a prominent Black media personality.

The Harris campaign is conducting a number of outreach efforts to Black voters, including an tour of homecomings at historically Black colleges and universities, a number of radio and TV ads targeting Black voters in key states, and a get-out-the-vote operation engaging Black communities that complements the work of allied groups such as Win With Black Men.

It has also tapped high-profile surrogates, including politicians, business leaders, professional athletes and musical artists, to court Black men.

“Our Black men, we’ve got to get them out to vote,” said former NBA star Magic Johnson during a recent Harris rally in Flint, Michigan. “Kamala’s opponent promised a lot of things to the Black community that he did not deliver on. And we’ve got to make sure we help Black men understand that."

The Trump campaign and its allies have held roundtables for Black men and conducted a bus tour through swing states that featured cookouts in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia. The campaign believes the former president’s appeals on issues such as the economy, immigration and traditional gender roles resonate with some Black men.

Trump earlier this year mused that the criminal charges against him in four separate indictments, one of which led to a conviction with another dismissed, made him more relatable to Black people.

“A lot of people said that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against,” he told a Black conservative audience in South Carolina.

Trump's support among Black, white, and Hispanic male voters worries senior Harris campaign officials as the election increasingly shapes up as divided along gender lines, with Harris stronger with women and Trump stronger with men.

But the debate over to what degree misogyny plays a role in some Black men not supporting Harris sidesteps a broader conversation on how Black men are engaged as full citizens in politics, argues Philip Agnew, founder of the grassroots political organization Black Men Build.

“To be a Black man in the United States is to be invisible and hypervisible at the same time, and neither one of those is a humanizing viewpoint,” Agnew said.

Agnew's group traveled to 10 cities across the summer, hosting roundtables with Black men and making the case for civic engagement and a progressive politics. Agnew said many Black men throughout those conversations expressed exasperation toward politics, a sentiment shared by many Americans, in addition to a feeling that their political perspectives were often misunderstood or unappreciated.

“The Black men I know are incredibly concerned with the lives of our families and our communities,” Agnew said. “It's because of an abundance of love for our sisters that we ask questions, not a lack of love.”

Former President Barack Obama greets attendees after speaking at a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Attendees hold signs as former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)