Republican Ted Cruz of Texas wins a third term to the US Senate

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won reelection Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and Democrats' latest try at ending decades of GOP dominance in the booming state that was thrust this election year to the center of battles over immigration and abortion .

Cruz, 53, secured a third term following another expensive reelection campaign, six years after only narrowly beating Beto O'Rourke . This time around, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race seriously. He tried recasting himself to Texas voters as a get-things-done legislator, far from his reputation as an unapologetic firebrand with national ambitions.

Walking out to the song "Eye of the Tiger," Cruz addressed his supporters Tuesday night at his watch party in Houston.

"Tonight is an incredible night, a huge victory here in Texas," Cruz said.

He thanked his wife and his supporters. Cruz also thanked Allred for a hard-fought campaign and pledged to protect the freedoms and values of all Texans, including those who didn't support him.

Cruz, who emphasized the importance of law and order on the campaign trail, was flanked on stage by a prominent Democratic supporter - Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, the top prosecutor in Texas' most populous county.

Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas' first Black senator, carried a moderate banner while mostly keeping both Vice President Kamala Harris and progressive supporters at arm's length. He touted the endorsements of Republicans — including former Rep. Liz Cheney — and ran as a champion of abortion rights in a state with one of the nation's strictest bans.

His campaign drew criticism early on from some Democrats who grew restless with Allred's strategy of not packing his schedule with raucous rallies or investing more in smaller corners of Texas, including cities along Texas' border with Mexico.

It was the latest failed attempt for Texas Democrats, who haven't won a statewide race in 30 years, the country's longest losing streak.

Despite Texas' reliably red reputation, Democrats had hoped to take advantage of the state's shifting demographics, including the growing Hispanic and Black populations and an influx of residents from other states.

Six years ago, Cruz narrowly pulled out a victory over O'Rourke by less than 3 percentage points, a loss that inspired Democrats across Texas.

Four in 10 Texas voters said the economy and jobs are the top issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationally, including more than 4,500 voters in Texas.

About 2 in 10 Texas voters said immigration is the most pressing issue, and about 1 in 10 named abortion.

Cruz, who ran for president in 2016, originally came to the Senate after a stint as Texas' solicitor general. He launched a popular podcast called "Verdict" in 2020 that defended then-President Donald Trump during his impeachment.

Allred was a star high school athlete from Dallas who played linebacker at Baylor University in Waco before a career in the NFL and then as a civil rights attorney. He also had experience defeating a Republican incumbent, having won a U.S. House seat in Dallas in 2018 that was held for more than two decades by GOP U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions.