Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, offered a blunt account Wednesday of Republicans’ sweeping midterm losses, calling the outcome a “blue tsunami” and saying his party had fallen out of step with voters, especially in Texas.
In a lengthy post on X, Cruz said Republicans had suffered historic defeats, losing both chambers of Congress as Democrats won every statewide race in Texas.
He compared the result to a major political repudiation, saying it went well beyond an ordinary midterm setback.
The Democratic gains reached deep into traditionally Republican territory. In Texas, the party ended decades of GOP dominance, taking the Senate race and unseating longtime Gov. Greg Abbott. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, while state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott, according to election results.
“Nowhere are the consequences of this election greater than Texas,” Cruz wrote, noting that Republicans had lost every statewide contest. He acknowledged that calling Texas a blue state was difficult, but said that was the reality for now.
Cruz said Republicans had failed to respond to voters’ concerns about the cost of living. Food, fuel, insurance and other expenses were weighing on households, he wrote, and voters were angry that elected Republicans had not done enough to ease the pressure.
He also pointed to tariffs and the prolonged war with Iran as factors that had added to voters’ frustration.
According to Cruz, Republicans lost support among blue-collar workers, young people, farmers, ranchers and Hispanic voters. Evangelical Christians also turned out with less enthusiasm than in past elections, he said, adding that the party had alienated rural America.
Cruz said he called Talarico after the election to congratulate him. The two had a pleasant conversation, he wrote, and Cruz said he was open to working with the Democrat on issues that would benefit Texas.
Despite the losses, which included Democratic victories in the lieutenant governor and attorney general races, Cruz predicted Republicans could win the state back.
During the campaign, Talarico presented himself as a moderate focused on representing Texans rather than serving Democratic leaders in Washington. Paxton, President Donald Trump and other Republicans called him a communist and criticized his support for transgender people, as well as a speech in which he described God as nonbinary.
Cruz rejected the idea that Texas voters had suddenly become liberal, saying the state had not turned into a place of “tofu-eating, gun-banning” voters. He argued that Republicans should rebuild as a blue-collar party by embracing free-market conservatism rather than socialism.
“It is dark right now,” Cruz wrote, “but morning is coming.”
