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Texas campaigns heat up as Election Day grows closer

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Published  September 2, 2024 5:18pm CDT
Texas Politics
FOX 7 Austin

Texas campaigns heating up

Here in Texas, the focus is on a tight U.S. Senate race. However, some are wondering whether the presidential race could also be close in Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas - Tuesday, Sept. 3, marks nine weeks until Election Day. With Labor Day kicking off the traditional final stretch of the campaign, here in Texas, the focus is on a tight U.S. Senate race. However, some are wondering whether the presidential race could also be close in Texas.

Texas Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Colin Allred came out with a new ad over the weekend, suggesting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s presence at sports games is causing Texas teams to lose.

"At this stage, right now, people aren't sick of it yet. And so there's a novelty factor," said Harvey Kronberg, publisher of QuorumReport.Com.

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Humor aside, some recent polls have suggested Allred is narrowing the gap in this hotly-contested and very expensive race. One poll shows Cruz leading by just two points, though others show a wider margin.

Kronberg says Allred could be benefiting from the so-called "Kamala effect", where Democrats have seen a bump after Joe Biden exited the presidential race, and Vice President Kamala Harris took over at the top of the ticket.

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"I think we are closer than the polls reflect at this point," said Kronberg. "If voters are thinking about women's health and abortion on Election Day, Allred wins. If they're thinking about the border, I think that Cruz wins."

As for the presidential race itself, a recent poll of Texas voters by the University of Houston shows Donald Trump leading Harris by less than five points, begging the question: could this be the year Texas turns blue?

"I get pooh-poohed every time I say this, but I do believe that this might be a tectonic moment," said Kronberg.

Kronberg noted Trump only won Texas with 52% in 2020.

"I think 52% is sort of a legitimate ceiling to anticipate in this election. And, if [Harris] stays with these kinds of numbers for another couple of weeks, it will stop being a campaign, it will become a movement," said Kronberg.