U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) acknowledged after a San Antonio campaign event Tuesday that his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso), had raised “a whole lot of money” during the year’s first quarter, but said Republicans still hold a voter turnout advantage.
Cruz’s stop in San Antonio came on a notable day for O’Rourke, who said Tuesday morning that his campaign raised $6.7 million during the first three months of 2018.
“That’s a whole lot of money, there’s no doubt about it,” Cruz told reporters after his remarks at a fundraiser at La Hacienda Scenic Loop. “It underscores that Republicans cannot take November for granted in Texas.”
Cruz said he believes there will be record Democratic turnout in the fall, but that there isn’t enough liberal support in Texas to turn the state blue, despite the $6.7 million donated to his opponent’s campaign from across the state and nation this year. Cruz cited the turnout of more than 1.5 million Republican voters compared to 1 million Democratic voters in the March Texas primaries as proof.
“Running a campaign to the far left, like Congressman O’Rourke does, will do wonderful if you’re trying to raise money in Hollywood,” Cruz said after his remarks. “But it’s not going to earn the vote of Texans.”
Cruz formally launched his statewide re-election campaign Monday. His San Antonio stop came during a tour of 12 cities across the state through Wednesday. Cruz did not mention O’Rourke or his campaign contributions during his remarks.
Instead, Cruz delivered his “Tough as Texas” re-election message to a crowd of roughly 70 people, spending nearly half an hour discussing acts of heroism by Texans and conservative values, and stressing the importance of Republican support amidst an energized Democratic party.
Cruz lauded first responders who worked in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. He also recalled conversations with Stephen Willeford, the Sutherland Springs resident who engaged in a gunfight and pursuit with Devin P. Kelley, who killed 26 congregants gathered inside the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs during Sunday services on Nov. 5.
“Stephen ran to his gun safe and pulled out his rifle, an AR-15,” Cruz told the crowd. “He didn’t even take the time to put his shoes on to get to the church.”
Cruz also discussed Democrats seeking to repeal the Second Amendment, pointing to a recently published op-ed in the New York Times written by former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
“We want to see the Second Amendment protected and enforced,” said Cruz, who grew up in Houston. “There are an awful lot of Washington Democrats who agree with Justice Stevens, and agree with the New York Times. They just don’t have the candor or honesty to say that.”
O’Rourke has said he wants to implement universal background checks for gun purchases, ban semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15, and outlaw bump stocks, the accessory attachments that essentially turn semi-automatic rifles into automatic ones.
“[O’Rourke] has called for banning one of the most popular rifles sold in America, and that’s a perfectly respectable view in Boston, Massachusetts,” Cruz said after his remarks. “I don’t think it reflects the views of the vast majority of Texans.”
During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Cruz placed second behind Donald Trump. O’Rourke has cited that race in criticizing Cruz, and released a Snapchat geofilter during Cruz’s Tuesday event that stated “Ted Cruz visited 99 of Iowa’s 99 counties” before asking, “When’s the last time he listened to Texans in San Antonio?”
After his Texas-centric speech, Cruz spent nearly half an hour meeting and speaking with attendees.
“Texans are strong, are independent, love freedom, defend freedom, and Texans are tough,” Cruz said after his remarks. “Those are the values that they expect in their elected representatives.”
The slimeball of the Senate.
Agreed, yet a majority of the people who can be bothered to vote in this state seem to think he is great.
I like that you recognize the word “MAJORITY”!
In 2012 when Sen. Cruz was first elected, Texas had 13,646,226 registered voters. He won by getting 4,440,137 total votes.
So as JimTx said, he got a majority of those who came out to vote in that election, NOT a majority of total voters and certainly not a majority of Texans.
Ted Cruz is nervous about his electoral prospects this year, and he has every reason to be.
You must be a liberal Democrat that got confident Trump would lose too!
Be careful, overconfidence works in both directions.
It isn’t about being careful, it is about voting with knowledge and confidence in the candidate of the party you choose. It’s not about who didn’t show up at the polls, its about who did show up at the polls!
“Cruz said he believes there will be record Democratic turnout in the fall, but that there isn’t enough liberal support in Texas to turn the state blue.”
All those Clinton supporters you derided for their overconfidence that Trump could never win in 2016 are showing the exact same attitude as you are this year. Just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.
I think you misjudge the left’s anger at Trump and his supporters in Congress at your own peril. Cruz is already predicting record Democratic turnout this year. Maybe listen to your guy.
Hey Andy, I will see you at the polls. Stay tuned and well educated, open minded, not just left sided. Best of luck for your future.
Indeed. Me and all my open-mind and left-sided friends will be out in force that day. Good luck to you too, Ann.
How could you attend this and not make one mention of the protesters outside let alone interview them.
At least he is conservative, is pro-life, believes in protecting our borders, and is against sanctuary cities.
And your point is? (He doesn’t beat his wife so I should vote for him?) Rafael Cruz is the WORST Texas Senator in my 65 years of residing in this state. He’s done nothing POSITIVE for Texans but keep espousing the same tired, hackneyed BS about “God, Guns and beat up on Gays.” Turn the page Texas! We need new leadership, new ideas and most of all – a new future!
Agree he’s not perfect, but no politician is. He believes and lives what this country was founded on – the Constitution and GOD. Belief in these will be the only thing that can save this country. Bow your head and pray that our moral values can be resurected and pray for more consrvative, God fearing politicians to continue to keep Texas strong with moralistic leadership. Too bad Nico LaHood lost the primary, while his young past was not stellar, he equates to Ted Cruz in leadership!
Ted Cruz squandered any right or credibility to claim he cares about Texas by spending most of his time as senator running for president instead of serving the people he was elected to represent.
Let’s not forget that Cruz has no qualms shutting down the government. The economic fallout from his 2013 “green eggs and ham” stunt was colossal.
Let’s not forget that Cruz FORGAVE Trump for saying Cruz’ father was involved in in the JFK assassination. Forgiveness is one thing but kissing up to the guy who beat you in the primary is just transparent self-serving pandering
The man is a monster. Tell every person under 30 you know to register and then VOTE in November.