In Texas’ U.S. Senate race, one of the candidates has been criticized for not going far enough to support transgender rights and for his approach to immigration reform. The other is Ted Cruz, who is disliked by both Democrats and Republicans, and his attire for fleeing our state during the 2021 winter storm for sunny Cancun was literally a Halloween costume this year.
Cruz and his opponent, U.S. Congressman Colin Allred, have been airing campaign ads seemingly nonstop for months now. Let’s call these spots what they are — commercials by people who might as well be convincing you to buy a used Civic from their front yard.
Analyzing them and sorting through the vibes and machismo to find the facts is more difficult than you might think. Both candidates, especially Cruz, exaggerate truths and lie to shape their narratives. More context is needed, and that’s what we’re here for.
From Allred’s ad with Kate Cox, the Texas woman who fled the state to have an abortion after being diagnosed with pregnancy complications: “Ted Cruz said this abortion ban is perfectly reasonable.”
VERDICT: TRUE
In this ad, Cox is referring to Texas’ ban on abortion that forces those who need one to seek care in other states or not at all. Though there are limited exceptions in place for pregnant women to have abortions while dealing with dangerous medical conditions, this has not aided doctors in providing necessary care to Texas women, leading to them getting very sick and, in some cases, dying.
And, yeah, Cruz is fine with the abortion laws currently on the books in Texas.
“Texas made a perfectly reasonable decision to protect life,” Cruz said in 2021 in a Senate hearing.
Allred’s ads also imply that Cruz helped create Texas’ current abortion laws, which requires context. Cruz isn’t a legislator at the state level, where Texas’ abortion laws were established. However, as seen from his statement above, he is undoubtedly against a woman’s right to choose. Over the years, he co-sponsored legislation to enact a national abortion ban. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, he called the decision “nothing short of a massive victory for life.” Cruz also voted in favor of the confirmation of the three Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Donald Trump who helped to overturn Roe. So, perhaps Cruz bears some responsibility for today’s abortion laws in Texas but not all of it.
From Cruz’s ad “Receipts”: “Allred wants you to believe that he will protect girls in sports, but he voted for boys in girls’ sports twice.” Related, Cruz’s ad “Radical” implies that Allred’s vision for America involves “boys in girls’ locker rooms, boys in girls’ bathrooms, boys in girls’ sports.”
VERDICT: MISLEADING AND TRANSPHOBIC
You could make the case that this isn’t even worth discussing since in 2022 less than 5% of voters were motivated to vote by transgender issues regarding sports participation or youth receiving gender affirming care, according to the Human Rights Campaign. But since Cruz is bringing it up, let’s talk about it.
While serving in Congress, Allred voted for the 2021 Equality Act and against the 2023 Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. Keep in mind that neither of these bills made it to the Senate floor. The Equality Act would have amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect people from being discriminated against for their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Related to Cruz’s claims, the bill would have prevented people from being denied access to shared facilities like restrooms and locker rooms.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would have prohibited schools from allowing students designated male at birth — which could include transgender women and girls as well as nonbinary students — from participating in athletic programs. The National Education Association and the National Women’s Law Center both described this bill as discriminatory.
Notice that these two bills involved discrimination against transgender people, one to prevent it and one to enforce it. Cruz insists cisgender girls need to be protected but is not interested in ensuring safety and fairness for trans kids, whom he misgenders.
From Cruz’s “Receipts” ad: “Colin Allred wants you to think he’s tough on the border. He’s not.” Also, from the ad “Gone Girls”: “Colin Allred voted against deporting dangerous criminals and against securing our border. He supports the disastrous Biden-Harris border policies. Colin Allred wants more illegal immigration.”
VERDICT: NEEDS CONTEXT
According to the “Receipts” ad, this claim is backed up by Allred voting “no” to “deporting failed amnesty applicants with gang affiliations” and the Secure the Border Act and to deporting “illegal aliens who assault a law enforcement officer.”
This is partially true. Allred did vote against the Secure the Border Act of 2023 and the POLICE Act of 2023 that was aimed at making “the assault of a law enforcement officer a deportable offense.” As to Cruz’s claim about Allred voting “no” to deporting failed amnesty applicants, we can neither confirm nor deny that’s true because we weren’t able to find what piece of legislation Cruz is referring to.
But that’s not all there is to Allred’s record on immigration. He voted “yes” for the Deport and Detain Illegal Aliens who Assault Cops Act, “yes” on the Police Our Borders Act, and “yes” on the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act this year.
Cruz’s “Gone Girls” ad focuses on instances of Texans, mostly minors, being killed by undocumented immigrants (or, in one case, a person smuggling undocumented immigrants). Aside from “dangerous” immigrants, Cruz blames Allred and Democrats for these deaths, saying that the rep “voted against deporting criminals” in the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019. Allred voted “yes” on this bill, which was never passed into law but would have “authorized the cancellation of removal and adjustment of status of certain aliens” like ones who entered the United States as children.
Allred’s voting record shows that he has opted not to condemn the Biden administration’s border policies four times. However, in January, he was one of 14 Democrats to vote for “denouncing the Biden administration’s open-borders policies, condemning the national security and public safety crisis along the southwest border, and urging President Biden to end his administration’s open-borders policies.”
There’s way more to the story than what Cruz’s ad implies. And that’s before you unpack the fact that Cruz lumps all undocumented immigrants together as one bloc, referring to them as dangerous criminals and not people who may be trying to escape dire circumstances themselves.
From Allred’s ad “Broken”: Ted Cruz said, “We don’t need a border bill.” Also in the ad “Next Man Up”: “Ted Cruz has been in Washington forever, but he’s done nothing to fix the border.”
VERDICT: PARTIALLY TRUE BUT MISSING CONTEXT
For the true part, Cruz did say a border bill wasn’t needed earlier this year on Fox News in reference to a piece of legislation worked on by both Republicans and Democrats and killed by Trump for him to use as political fodder. Cruz went on to talk up Trump’s policies and advocate for a change in president.
But Allred’s claim that Cruz has done nothing to secure the border also isn’t exactly accurate. Like Allred himself, Cruz’s voting record on immigration issues is varied. Cruz voted against the Border Act of 2024 but was for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act … in 2019. Houston Public Media supposes that Cruz has had less success in passing legislation on the border because he’s been in the minority during about half his time in the Senate.
Final thoughts: To use a nickname bestowed upon him by the guy who insulted his wife in public, “Lyin’ Ted” is at it again, but Colin Allred is not above twisting the senator’s words and record for political gain. However, as the only candidate to empower women to make their own medical decisions, to not discriminate against the transgender community, and to support a bipartisan solution to the border, we recommend Colin Allred for U.S. Senate.
This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
