Ted Cruz faces a GOP revolt in Texas as Republicans back the opponent

Sen. Ted Cruz faces a growing rebellion within his party as a wave of Texas Republicans rally behind his opponent, Rep. Colin Allred.

In interviews with ABC 13 and the Houston Chronicle On Thursday, Allred announced the formation of the Republicans for Allred coalition It is chaired by former Republican state representative Jason Villalba and former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger.

Other members of the coalition include former Dallas Mayor and Congressman Steve Bartlett, former state representative and chairman of the Texas House Elections Committee Todd Smith, former Congressman Alan Steelman, former deputy director of the National Economic Council under President George W. Bush, and Marc Sumerlin, and former state representative Bennett Ratliff.

“This is a serious effort to reach out to Republicans,” Kinzinger said in a news release. “You'll see other people saying, 'Look, we're going to put aside petty differences because we actually believe in this country and what it stands for, just like Colin does and unlike Ted Cruz.'

“I am a lifelong Republican. I even served Texas in the legislature as a Reagan Republican. But our current senator appears to be more focused on his own ambitions or advancing the interests of extremists than helping ordinary Texans like me,” former state representative Villaba said in the press release.

“My Congressman Colin Allred, on the other hand, has served North Texas with dignity, respect and a servant’s heart. Colin handles the kitchen table issues that are important to me and my family. He will never jeopardize his own personal gain” over Texas. That's why I'm proud to support him.

Following the announcement, the Cruz campaign dismissed the Republicans for Allred coalition, calling it a “fake, feel-good vanity project for Allred.”

“Adam Kinzinger’s attempt to restart his political career in Texas is not news. This is clearly nothing more than another fake feel-good vanity project for Allred,” a Cruz campaign spokesman said Newsweek.

“You need look no further than co-chair Adam Kinzinger, a disgruntled former congressman who rages vengefully against anyone with an 'R' next to their name, to know how deeply disingenuous and pathetic this is.”

Newsweek I emailed the Allred campaign seeking comment.

A number of Republicans have spoken out against Cruz, including former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who endorsed Allred last month.

“I have known Ted Cruz for 20 years. And it's clear – anyone who knows Ted Cruz, and I'm sure most of you in this room know Ted Cruz, no one thinks Ted Cruz is a man of great honor,” Cheney said.

“What Ted Cruz did after the 2020 election clearly makes him unfit for office. Ted Cruz, knowing – knowing that it was unconstitutional, knowing that Joe Biden had won the election, knowing that the election had been certified in every one of our states and that there was a legitimate list of voters – that there were no challenged lists of voters that were legitimate, and that knowing that, Ted Cruz put forward a proposal to reject many of those votes, essentially rejecting the votes of millions of Americans, which would have been “And he did that to please Donald Trump,” she said, referring focusing on Cruz's efforts to push through Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Cheney is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Both father and daughter have supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president.

“My campaign is open and welcoming to conservatives … and any Republican willing to stand up to Ted Cruz,” Allred posted Thursday on X, formerly Twitter.

Despite growing support for Allred, polls show Cruz still slightly ahead. A poll conducted by ActiVote between September 5 and September 30 showed the incumbent Texas senator leading by 5 points. The poll surveyed 400 likely voters and had a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percent.

Another poll conducted between September 25 and 26 by Public Policy Polling showed Cruz ahead by just one point. The poll surveyed 759 registered voters and had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Morning Consult between September 9 and 18 found Allred ahead of Cruz by one point for the first time, 45 percent to his 44 percent among 2,716 likely voters. His lead was within the poll's margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

“For the first time in this race, a new poll puts us ahead of Ted Cruz by one point. I don't know about you, but I'm excited and ready to WIN! We have 47 days, so let’s move on this Texas,” Allred said in a post on X.

Since 1993, only Republicans have represented Texas in the U.S. Senate. Cruz narrowly won his last election six years ago, beating challenger Beto O'Rourke by 2.6 percent. It was the closest U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1978.

The race could be just as close this year, according to Brett Loyd, president and CEO of polling firm The Bullfinch Group Newsweek that everyone can win the state.

“The Texas Senate race is a back and forth. It should always have been viewed as a back and forth. “That doesn’t mean Cruz will lose, but the race should be viewed as everyone’s game,” he said.

The Cook Political Report classified the Texas Senate race as “lean Republican.” Previously, she was rated “likely Republican” for most of the 2024 election cycle.

The RealClearPolitics poll tracker estimates Cruz leading Allred by an average of 5 points.

Amid the tight race that could decide who controls the Senate in 2025, Democrats are spending millions to maintain their majority.

According to the Federal Elections Commission, Allred has raised about $38.4 million so far. Cruz's campaign has raised $59.6 million.

Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a Sept. 26 appearance at the National Press Club that his party is making a “multimillion-dollar investment” in television advertising to win Senate races in Texas and Florida. He did not specify how much would be spent.

The Democrats have a razor-thin majority in the Senate: 51 senators are affiliated with the party, compared to 49 affiliated with the Republicans. Republicans only need to secure two additional seats in November to gain a Senate majority when the new Congress meets next year. They are expected to win a seat in West Virginia.

Meanwhile, Democrats need to gain an additional seat. DecisionDeskHQ has predicted that Republicans have a 55 percent chance of taking control of Congress.

Update 10/5/2024 6:19 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the Cruz campaign.