It's official: Democratic Rep. Colin Allred and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will face each other in November for the U.S. Senate race in Texas as Cruz runs for reelection. Allred has been regarded by some as a moderate on several issues as he seeks higher office, though that doesn't turn out to be the case.
Earlier this week, as Madeline covered, Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) launched the task force known as Democrats for Border Security, with a press conference taking place on Tuesday. While Cuellar claimed the members are "urging Congress to work together on legislation to secure the border," it turned out to be more of what we've already seen from Democrats. As National Review highlighted, Allred is one of those members involved.
Allred himself shared a photo of himself flanked by other members claiming "I know our border communities are not just political backdrops."
I know our border communities are not just political backdrops.
— Rep. Colin Allred (@RepColinAllred) March 12, 2024
That's why I was proud to join @RepCuellar and the Democrats for Border Security Task Force to call on Congress to work together and act to address this crisis.
Texas needs action. https://t.co/0AhckMwhrT pic.twitter.com/Sd7ITenBWJ
“I know that our border communities are not just political backdrops," Allred said in his remarks. "And I am sick and tired of politicians talking about the problem, about the crisis we are experiencing at our border, but being unwilling to actually solve it."
Despite such talk, however, Allred voted against a resolution from Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) that condemned President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for their failure to secure the border. As Leah reported about the resolution, 14 Democrats voted in favor. The House impeached Mayorkas last month, though Allred voted against the effort, as did all of his fellow Democrats.
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The congressman also shared a statement from himself and Reps. Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) calling out Republicans for "petty politics." Such a statement echoes the tactic of Democrats, including and especially the Biden White House, to accuse Republicans of playing "politics" due to their opposition to passing a bad bill that would not actually secure the border.
As the statement read:
“In January we voted for a resolution condemning the status quo of our immigration system because of the crisis at our border. In the face of that crisis, Senate Republicans rejected the opportunity to pass a bipartisan compromise that would help fix our broken immigration system, all in the name of petty politics.
“This crisis is directly affecting Texans and our border communities, and the time for resolutions has passed. We call on House Republicans and Speaker Johnson to bring the bipartisan compromise to the House floor for a vote.”
The press release from Allred's office also touted how "Cuellar, Gonzalez, and Allred, all members of the newly launched Democrats for Border Security Task Force, have consistently called for the passage of the Senate-negotiated bipartisan border agreement."
Cruz, meanwhile, has taken a consistently strong stance on doing something about the border crisis. That includes speaking out about the crisis during his trips to the border. He's been firm that the Senate should do their duty and hold Mayorkas' impeachment trial. Cruz has also been the lead for the Senate version of the Secure the Border Act, which the House passed last May.
Polling consistently shows that immigration is a top two issue among voters, and that looks to especially be the case in a border state like Texas. The Lone Star state has also been in the news in recent months as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late January in favor of the Biden administration when it comes to removing Texas' border barriers.
Allred has been duplicitous on other issues as well, including and especially while he says he supports Israel, but, as Townhall has covered, associates with radically anti-Israel groups and figures.
The Texas race has been a target for Democrats for the 2024 cycle, although Republicans are seen to have the greater advantage when it comes to not just the seats they're defending but also looking to defend. Forecasters currently consider the Senate race out of Texas to be "Likely Republican," though Cruz has nevertheless been a serious target from Democrats, including on the border, while those like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) continue to hammer him for daring to oppose a bad bill that would not actually secure the border.
Senator Cruz is the one who wants to do nothing on the border.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 19, 2024
Last week, he voted against a bipartisan bill to strengthen border security. https://t.co/MGw1v46PM0
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