Texas Senate Election Results: Beto O’Rourke vs. Ted Cruz

NYT ^

[conservative98]

Candidate Party Votes Pct.

Ted Cruz* Rep. 4,244,204 50.9%

Beto O'Rourke Dem. 4,024,777 48.3

Neal Dikeman Lib. 65,240 0.8

8,334,221 votes, 100% reporting (7,949 of 7,949 precincts)

* Incumbent

[MayflowerMadam]

Conspiracy theory warning!

Does anybody else think that the Rats might be placing Libertarian candidates in races just to split the GOP vote?

The GOP should invest some money in running Green Party candidates that would split the Rat vote.

[TLI]

They were not gunning for Greg. He was not going to go to the Senate and vote on the next SCJ Trump nomination.

The proglibs were attacking the Senate races.

.

[lonestar67]

Ted Cruz is excellent.

He is certainly the best senator in the Senate.

He won several supreme court cases because you are wrong.

He actually defeated the Bush administration on the question of whether Texas could execute an illegal immigrant who committed a murder in state.

he also won major cases for religious liberty in front of the court.

So unlike all his critics, he has actually done major things for conservatives.

Let’s be honest.

The back biting non-substantive style hating on Cruz while ignoring his overwhelming substantive successes are a big part of why he did not win bigger in Texas.

When Beto defeats the moderate Cornyn in 2020, the faux conservatives hating on Cruz will get their just desserts.

I was very glad to vote again for Cruz. He is excellent and truly conservative unlike so many pretenders.

[JediJones]

Not true at all. If Hillary was running against Cruz for Senate in Texas, she would’ve lost by 10 or 15 points. Beto was simply a very appealing candidate funded with ENORMOUS, record-breaking amounts of money and given fawning media attention that made him a national household name. No GOP Senator nationwide but Cruz could’ve won a campaign against him. Beto would’ve crushed Trump in the national election. Trump and Hillary had extremely high unfavorable ratings. Hillary was easy to beat and Trump barely beat her, losing the popular vote. Cruz would’ve done better.

[bigbob]

All true. Conservatives need to wake up and realize that the reason conservatism has lost so much ground is because there aren’t enough conservative voters to elect a strict doctrinaire conservative in many states, or in the USA. Pay attention to ho Trump won or get ready to keep losing.

No one in any of these midterms had the kind of personal appeal Trump has, but Robert O’Rourke came closer than anyone and damn near defeated a strict conservative in a traditionally conservative state.

Wake up Republican Party and start grooming some better candididates! Like O’Rourke, just for pity sake do not give them fake Hispanic nicknames.

[Wallace T.]

Yankees and Californians are part of the explanation, but sheer voter stupidity cannot be overlooked. Greg Abbott won reelection as Governor by 1.1 million votes, while Ted Cruz won by only 220,000, a difference of 880,000. Total vote in Texas was 8.3 million, so 10.6% of Abbott voters statewide switched to the Democrat Beto O'Rourke for the Senate seat. Low information and just plain stupid voters are abundant in Texas.

[hawkaw]

You make a good and factual point.

[Honorary Serb]

Robert Francis O’Rourke apparently was known as “Beto” before he entered kindergarten. So the remarks of Freepers—including yours truly—calling him the “fake Mexican” were unwarranted.

However, Robert Francis O’Rourke is positioning himself as the new Bobby (Robert Francis) Kennedy. So phooey to him anyway!!!!!

[dfwgator]

I attribute that more to the typical mid-term, and how the party out of office has more motivation than our side.

I actually think this result is better for our side in 2020, because the shoe should be on the other foot.

[fortheDeclaration]

I cannot believe it was that close! Clearly, many Republicans didn’t vote for him.

[fortheDeclaration]

I think Cruz was a very bad candidate this time around.

[gibsonguy]

Way.Too.Close. Last chance, secure the border or it’s over.

[texanyankee]

“Greg Abbott won by 1.1 million. Candidates matter.”

Exactly right. If Cruz had Lupe Valdez as an opponent then Cruz would have crushed her.

If Abbott had Beeto as his opponent, then the governor’s race would have been much closer.

[willyd]

Also they ran a libertarian to siphon votes from Cruz

[LurkedLongEnough]

Way too close for my likin’ after escaping the blue state of blue states with its little blue flag with the joke on it

[David in Cal]

Excellent comment!

[Drew68]

In Texas with a very conservative incumbent versus and gun grabbing open borders dui/hit and run lib.

That's what's scary. Beto didn't even run as a "Texas" Democrat. He ran as a San Francisco Democrat. In Texas.

[texanyankee]

Well stated.

I consider Cruz the best Senator in DC.
And I am glad he is my Senator.

[jospehm20]

Greg Abbott got almost a half million more votes than Cruz did. He would have beaten Beta handily. Cruz is just not very likeable.