A lot of big issues that are important to Texas voters were raised during Tuesday’s heated debate between Democratic Congressman Colin Allred and Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
Allred didn’t hold back when criticizing Cruz’s record as they battled for the Texas Senate seat. Besides making headlines with some very sharp comments like calling Cruz’s podcast “angertainment,” Allred pointed out his opponent’s support for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which protected abortion rights for nearly 50 years. He questioned why Republicans like Cruz supported laws that made it harder for women to get abortions, even in difficult situations.
Colin Allred stated, “You should look into the camera and speak to Kate Cox,” a Texas woman who faced severe challenges because of strict abortion laws. He also mentioned Amanda Zurawski, who had complications during her pregnancy but was denied care. The Congressman urged Cruz to explain to Texas women, whom he wishes to represent at the U.S. Senate, why they sometimes have to leave the state for medical care.
Ted Cruz didn’t stand a chance in winning viewers on this topic and was mostly evasive about Texas’s abortion ban, which does not allow exceptions for rape or incest. When the debate touched on the contentious issue of transgender rights, the Republican candidate, who has made this topic a central theme in his reelection campaign, accused Allred of supporting policies that allow boys to compete in girls’ sports.
He went further to claim that the Democratic candidate sought to use taxpayer funds for soldiers to have sex change operations and for children to get sterilized.
In response, Allred firmly stated, “I don’t support boys playing girls’ sports..what I think is that folks should not be discriminated against.” He argued that Cruz is using anti-transgender rhetoric to distract voters from more pressing issues, particularly those affecting women’s health and rights.
During last night’s debate, which lasted nearly an hour, viewers were unhappy to hear about Cruz’s controversial trip to Cancún, Mexico, in 2021, when many Texans were left without power due to a severe winter storm. Colin Allred seized on this vulnerability, repeatedly mentioning the incident as evidence of Ted Cruz’s indifference toward his constituents at a time of crisis.
Generally, both candidates displayed their debating skills well, with Cruz leveraging his extensive experience as a former solicitor general and senator. Allred, while less experienced in such formats, managed to keep pace with the former.
