Texas Senate Race Pits Abortion Rights Against The Bogeyman Of Boys In Girls Sports
HuffPost
Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans hope to weaken Democrats' advantage among women by talking about boys in girls sports instead of abortion.
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his Democratic challenger, Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), are pitching themselves to voters as defenders of women in the final weeks of a Senate race that provides one of the few last-dash hopes Democrats have to retain control of the U.S. Senate.
The difference? A threat that Allred is discussing, to the safety and health of women living under Texas’ abortion ban, is very real, with multiple Texas women speaking out about their recent terrible experiences.
A threat that Cruz is hyping — of out transgender athletes playing in girls sports — is rare enough that Cruz generally avoids pointing to examples of it happening in Texas.
How Texan voters interpret these two threats could determine control of the U.S. Senate. With Republicans all but certain to pick up one seat this election cycle, Democrats need to win in Texas, Florida or Montana to have a hope of holding Congress’ upper chamber. Polls have shown Cruz with a small but consistent lead over Allred, though a leaked Republican polling memo showed him up by only 1 percentage point earlier this week.
Ahead of a Tuesday evening debate, Cruz launched a new TV ad accusing Allred, a former NFL linebacker, of wanting to let boys play in girls sports — the latest campaign commercial in a series that included one spot, from a group backing Cruz, showing an Allred look-alike in a football uniform tackling a girl. It’s the third ad released in the past month that’s focused on transgender issues in a bid to boost Cruz, as many as his campaign has devoted to any other topic.