Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said he considers it a “badge of honor” that Democrats are “trying to get rid of me” as he runs for a third six-year term as the Texas state Senate representative. .
But as he faces another tough re-election bid this year against a well-funded Democratic challenger, Mr. Cruz is not only providing conservatives with plenty of red meat, but also touting bipartisan efforts toward compromise. There is.
“You can walk and chew gum at the same time,” Cruz explained in an interview with Fox News Digital when asked how to reconcile contrasting messages.
That’s a message his Democratic challengers aren’t buying.
Ted Cruz has raised millions of dollars so far this year
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to reporters on his way to the Senate Weekly Policy Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 6, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Cruz, who was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and was the runner-up in the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, is a self-proclaimed champion of conservatives and has long been known for throwing verbal bombshells at Democrats. He is a flaming merchant.
The senator argued, “Our country cannot endure four more years of the disastrous policies of Democratic President Biden.The policies have caused tremendous damage to the country.”
Cruz said he was “proud to lead the fight” against what he described as “all the stupid ideas coming out of President Biden’s White House, and there’s no shortage of really bad ideas.” did.
But the senator added, “At the same time, it is my job to fight to achieve real, positive wins for Texans, and I have done so since the day I arrived.”
“Year after year, I have introduced and passed almost entirely bipartisan legislation and achieved great victories for the state of Texas,” he said.
Cruz said after speaking with Fox News Digital, referring to the massive Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that the Senate passed to improve air service and aviation safety. I’m with Democrat Maria Cantwell, chair of the Commerce Committee. ”
“This is the 100th bill I’ve authored and passed.”
And he emphasized: “My job here is to do both: lead the fight against wrongdoing, while achieving real and meaningful victories to protect jobs, the safety and security of Texans, and their rights. to fight.”
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A month ago, the senator launched a “Democrat for Cruz” message as part of a media blitz that included ads.
Cruz’s Democratic opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL professional football player and three-term congressman who represents a suburban Dallas district, is skeptical.
Congressman Colin Allred and members of the Congressional Black Caucus address the media on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol on February 8, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
“He’s a proud extremist,” Allred charged in a recent interview with the Fox News affiliate in Texas. “When I was in the NFL, I used to say, ‘Check the tape,’ because the tape doesn’t lie. And in Ted Cruz’s case, the tape is very clear. For 12 years, he was a radical It was a right-wing extremist faction. ”
Allred added: “I think it’s kind of funny that he’s trying to show that he has some moderation at this point.”
Cruise doesn’t try to hide his record.
“I’ve been leading conservatives in the Senate for 12 years, and I know that’s a role that Texans can count on me to play,” he spotlighted.
But he claimed the extremist was Mr. Allred, who he claimed “has a history of far-left voting and has voted for open borders time and time again.”
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Mr. Cruz narrowly defeated then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senate race. The senator lost by a landslide to Mr. O’Rourke in a high-profile race that garnered a lot of national attention.
Six years later, both Mr. Cruz and Mr. Allred are raising large sums of money for their campaigns.
“I’m seeing money coming in from all over the country to support my opponents, the left wing of the Democratic Party,” Cruz said. “Democrats have probably spent over $100 million this year to defeat me. “We have plans to spend as much as $150 million,” he warned. . ”
“We need to win the race in Texas. That’s the No. 1 goal for Chuck Schumer. That’s the No. 1 goal. Barack Obama just tweeted a map of the state. This is the state we Democrats are targeting. And he said, “Texas right front, center they’re coming after me.” Cruz was in the spotlight.
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at a donor conference sponsored by the conservative group Club for Growth on March 3, 2023 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
But the senator revels in the attention.
“I have to say, the fact that they’re coming after me is something I wear as a badge of honor. If Schumer, Soros, and Obama hadn’t tried to take me out, I would be disappointed. I would be like, ‘Oh my god, haven’t I actually made that much of a difference? Are they not that worried about fighting?” Well, their actions clearly say they want to take me out. they won’t succeed. ”
Two years ago, Mr. Cruz hinted that he might run for president for a second time in 2024, but abandoned that idea as he focused on his Senate reelection bid.
Asked if he might run for president again in 2028, the senator said, “That’s a decision to be made in the future.”
“I’ve never had more fun than right now. Every morning I jump out of bed wanting to compete in a really important match,” he said.
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