Who won the Senate debate in Texas? X crowns the winner of Cruz vs. Allred

The highly anticipated showdown between incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is officially set.

The two engaged in heated arguments over hot-button issues like immigration and abortion, aiming to gain a lead in the race for Texas. This debate, aptly named “The Texas Debate,” may be the only one we will see between these candidates.

But who prevailed? Let’s look at what people on X are saying.

Colin Allred’s campaign responds to the debate

“Don’t let Lyin’ Ted fool you,” the Allred campaign said in an email to the El Paso Times. “He said, ‘We don’t need a border law,’ and true to his word he has obstructed all serious efforts to secure the border, including calls for a bipartisan border agreement that he ultimately killed.”

Ted Cruz’s campaign responds to the debate

“The only thing surprising about the outcome of this debate is that Colin Allred’s pants weren’t set on fire by the amount of lies he told on stage,” a spokesman for Cruz’s campaign said in a statement. “Senator Cruz laid out his record that has brought countless jobs to Texas, supported law enforcement, protected our children and much more.”

“When Colin Allred wasn’t lying, he was dodging questions and making meaningless attacks,” the statement continued. “The winner of this debate is clear and who will win this election in 21 days. Spoiler alert – this person is not Colin Allred.”

Summary of the debate: Ted Cruz vs. Colin Allred take the stage for the first debate in the US Senate

Beto O’Rourke: You can see the fear in Cruz’s eyes…he knows he’s going down

“Colin is in charge and is exposing this sniveling coward who hid in a broom closet as the mob he incited stormed the Capitol … the same one who fled Texas when his voters froze to death,” Beto O’Rourke posted on the Tuesday night debate.

O’Rourke, a politician from El Paso, Texas, gained national attention during his 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, where he narrowly lost to Cruz. He later ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election, but dropped out before the primaries. He ran against Governor Greg Abbott in the 2022 gubernatorial election and lost.

Texas Democratic Party: Allred won this debate

The Texas Democratic Party issued the following statement during Tuesday’s U.S. Senate debate:

“Tonight, Texans saw a clear contrast between Congressman Colin Allred, who is poised to become a senator for all 30 million Texans, and Ted Cruz, who has repeatedly shown that he only cares about himself,” said Gilberto Hinojosa , chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, on Tuesday evening.

“Ted Cruz has been in Washington forever and has nothing to show other than his abortion ban and his infamous trip to Cancún. Congressman Allred will restore reproductive freedom for Texas women, secure the border, and bring Texans together around our shared values. Congressman Allred won this debate and proved to Texans that he is the right person to serve us in the Senate.”

Who is Colin Allred?

Allred’s showdown with Cruz is not his first experience fighting a stronger political opponent.

In 2018, Allred defeated 11-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, to secure his current seat in the U.S. House.

He is now in his third term in the House of Representatives.

Which NFL team did Colin Allred play for?

Allred accepted a scholarship to play football at Baylor University, where he was named All-Big 12 honorable mention.

This led to him being signed by the Tennessee Titans in 2006. He made his regular season debut for the team in 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, he played in 32 games and recorded 46 tackles.

Allred left the NFL in 2011 and enrolled in law school, earning his Juris Doctor degree from UC Berkeley School of Law in 2014.

Watch the Cruz-Allred debate

Watch the full Cruz-Allred debate below.

El Paso Times reporter Adam Powell contributed to this report.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)