DALLAS — Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Colin Allred will face off in The Texas Debate tonight on WFAA.
"The Texas Debate" between the two candidates will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at WFAA's studio, and it will be broadcast across Texas. Three weeks before Election Day on Nov. 5, it will be the only debate between Cruz and Allred.
In addition to airing on WFAA, the debate will be livestreamed on the WFAA+ app. The streaming app is available for download on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire, as well as on iPhone and Android.
Coverage started on WFAA+ at 3 p.m., and there will also be analysis immediately following the debate. Also, we’ll have live coverage and recaps of the debate on WFAA.com, as well as additional context and background on each candidate and their platforms.
Follow the latest updates from the debate here:
Cruz: In Texas, there's a lot of consensus on abortion
Sen. Ted Cruz, opening on the issue of abortion, said Texans overwhelmingly support parents having to consent before their child can get abortion, and that abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy are too extreme, and that taxpayer money shouldn't pay for abortions.
But Cruz also said Allred rejects those consensuses, and voted in favor of striking down legislation surrounding parental consent and late-term abortions.
Allred: Sen. Cruz just looked into the camera and lied to Texans about my positions
Allred asked Cruz to explain why it's reasonable to force 26,000 women to give birth to their rapist's child under Texas law.
"When I'm in U.S. Senate, we'll restore a woman's right to choose," Allred said. "We'll make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again."
Allred repeatedly said that Cruz is "not pro-life" on the issue of abortion, as the two traded barbs on the opening question of the debate.
Allred: I believe in physical barriers
Allred said he believes in physical barriers as part of a comprehensive strategy to secure the southern border. He also said he wants to fix the U.S.'s current legal immigration system.
"Time and again Sen. Cruz treats our border communities like he's going on some kind of safari," Allred said. "He goes back to Washington and does nothing to help."
Allred accused Sen. Cruz of not voting in favor of "the toughest border security bill in a generation" when it came up in Congress.
Cruz: I hear about illegal immigration everywhere I go
Cruz said that Congress produced the lowest rate of illegla immigration in 45 years working hand-in-hand with President Donald Trump, and said it didn't take a bill for Allred, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to break the border.
Cruz also claimed Allred doesn't hear about illegal immigration much around Dallas, and said he hears about it all over the state.
Allred and Cruz arrive for the debate
Congressman Colin Allred has arrived at WFAA's studio ahead of The Texas Debate against Sen. Ted Cruz. The debate is set to get underway at 7 p.m.
Sen. Ted Cruz has arrived at WFAA studio ahead of The Texas Debate against Democrat challenger Colin Allred.
What's at stake in the Texas Senate election?
Allred is hoping to unseat the incumbent Cruz, in a seemingly close race that could have a major impact on the Senate for years to come.
The Senate is closely split at the moment, with the Democrats only having a slight majority -- 51 Democrats to 49 Republicans. Whoever wins their Senate seat will have it for some time, as senators have six-year long terms, the longest of any elected officials in the U.S.
There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs this November, 23 of which are held by Democrats or Independents. This election represents a major opportunity for Republicans to seize back control of the upper chamber of Congress. So the Democrats will have to either hold onto their seats up for grabs, or manage to unseat the Republican senators that are up for election.
One of those seats is that of Cruz. Since 2013, Cruz has represented Texas in the Senate. This is his third time running, and his second time running for re-election after he beat Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke in a shockingly close race in 2018.
The format and rules of the debate
WFAA met with both campaigns on Tuesday to do a coin toss determining the order of opening and closing statements. Rep. Allred won the toss and chose to start the opening statements. As a result, Sen. Cruz will conclude the debate with his closing statement.
Here are the rules agreed upon by both campaigns:
- Candidates will get 60 seconds to introduce themselves
- Candidates will get 90 seconds to answer a question
- The opponent will then get 90 seconds to respond
- The first candidate will then get 60 seconds for rebuttal
- Moderators will have a 60-second follow-up if needed
- At the end of the hour, candidates will get 60 seconds to make their final pitch to voters
Ted Cruz vs. Colin Allred debate studio tour
WFAA is hosting The Texas Debate between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Jason Whitely, WFAA senior political reporter and one of the moderators of the debate, gives a tour of the debate studio and setup -- take a look:
And here's a look inside the studio at the podiums where both candidates will stand:
Cruz, Allred release pre-debate statements
On Tuesday morning, Allred's campaign released a statement ahead of the debate. Here's what he said:
"Tonight Texans will see a very clear choice between Congressman Allred's commitment to working with both parties to actually serve Texans and protect women's abortion rights and Ted Cruz's divisive lies and antics," Allred campaign manager Paige Hutchinson said. "Texans are fed up with Cruz. From his career-long fight to enact the most extreme abortion laws to his refusal to fix the border and decision to abandon Texans during a deadly winter freeze for a Cancun vacation -- when it matters the most, Cruz will always put himself first."
Allred also shared a campaign ad featuring Kate Cox, the Dallas woman who sued and fled the state in December to get an abortion after she learned her fetus had a lethal fetal anomaly, ahead of the debate.
Cruz's campaign didn't release an official statement but did share a post on social media calling out Allred.
"Colin Allred says one thing, his actions say another," the post read. "Colin Allred is too liberal for Texas."
Cruz also touted his Monday endorsement from former President Donald Trump on social media.
Where Ted Cruz and Colin Allred stand in fundraising ahead of the debate
Last week, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who’s challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, announced he raised $30.3 million for his campaign in the third quarter of this year, outpacing Cruz’s haul by about $9 million during the same period.
Where Ted Cruz and Colin Allred stand in the polls ahead of the debate
The latest survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston showed Cruz leading Allred 50% to 46%.
Polls have consistently shown Cruz with a slight lead in the Senate race throughout the campaign, but the latest poll shows Cruz widening his lead.
Allred campaign debate watch party
Dallas County Young Democrats are hosting a debate watch party from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station.
Cruz campaign watch party
The Cruz campaign is hosting a debate watch party from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Rustic in Uptown.
What to know about Ted Cruz
Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father before his family moved to Houston when he was a young child.
After graduating from a private high school in 1988 as valedictorian, Cruz attended Princeton University, where he studied public policy. He then graduated from law school at Harvard University.
Throughout his career, Cruz has clerked for several judges, including former Chief Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, worked on George W. Bush's presidential campaign, and served as Texas' attorney general before he won his Senate seat in 2012.
What to know about Colin Allred
Allred was born and raised in Dallas, attending Hillcrest High School in North Dallas and Baylor University in Waco on a football scholarship.
He was a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans for five seasons before sustaining a career-ending injury.
Allred attended law school at the University of California Berkeley School of Law and worked as a civil rights attorney before he entered politics.
He defeated 22-year Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in 2018 to win his seat in Congress representing Texas 32nd District, encompassing parts of Dallas, Collin and Denton counties.