HOUSTON — Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred met Tuesday night in the only debate of their Texas Senate race that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Before the voters have their say, they heard from both candidates in "The Texas Debate."
The only debate between the two candidates took place Tuesday at the studio of our sister station, WFAA in Dallas. It was broadcast live across Texas.
Those in Houston can watch the debate live on KHOU 11 and KHOU 11+. (KHOU 11+ can be downloaded for free on Roku, FireTV and AppleTV.)
The debate began at 7 p.m. and was moderated by WFAA's Senior Political Reporter Jason Whitely and Gromer Jeffers from the Dallas Morning News. You can watch the debate in English and Spanish on KHOU 11+.
The candidates
The debate presents Allred, a three-term congressman from Dallas and former NFL linebacker, with a chance to boost his name identification to a broad Texas audience. Allred has made protecting abortion rights a centerpiece of his campaign and has been sharply critical of the state's abortion ban, which is one of the strictest in the nation. The issue has been a winning one for Democrats, even in red states like Kentucky and Kansas, ever since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 2022 to strip away constitutional protections for abortion.
Cruz, who quickly made a name for himself in the Senate as an uncompromising conservative and ran for president in 2016, has refashioned his campaign to focus on his legislative record. He portrays his opponent as too liberal. Allred has meanwhile sought to flash moderate credentials and has the endorsement of former Republican U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.
The claim
Allred claimed 26,000 Texas women have been forced to give birth to their rapist's child under the Texas abortion law.
The source
What we found
Texas Heartbeat Act (SB 8) banned abortion after the detection of embryonic or fetal cardiac activity, which is usually after about six weeks of pregnancy. It was passed by the Texas Legislature in May 2021.
According to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, there were an estimated 26,000 pregnancies related to rape in just over a year after Texas outlawed abortions.
Researchers said the study was based on estimates, which limits its accuracy. They said the "highly stigmatized" experiences are not easy to accurately measure through surveys and they used data from before abortion bans were put in place. They also didn't compare the numbers year-to-year, so it wasn't possible to tell if the estimates showed an increase or decrease compared to the year prior.
The claim
"In my time in the Senate, I have authored and passed 101 different pieces of legislation," Cruz said.
The source
What we found
According to Congress.gov, Cruz has sponsored 4 and co-sponsored 70 pieces of legislation that have passed both chambers since he has been in the Senate.
According to the same website, Allred has sponsored 1 and co-sponsored 51 pieces of legislation that passed both chambers since he joined the House of Representatives.
The claim
Allred claimed Cruz voted against the Child Tax Credit.
The source
What we found
The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 was voted on Aug. 1, 2024.
HR 7024: "A bill to make improvements to the child tax credit, to provide tax incentives to promote economic growth, to provide special rules for the taxation of certain residents of Taiwan with income from sources within the United States, to provide tax relief concerning certain Federal disasters, to make improvements to the low-income housing tax credit, and for other purposes."
The bill passed in the House but didn't pass in the Senate where Cruz, along with 40 of the 43 other Republicans, voted against the bill.
Allred voted in favor of the bill as it easily passed in the House.
The claim
"The defund the police movement started in 2019 -- from 2019 to 2023 let me tell you what happened to the murder rate in Houston -- it went up 29%," Cruz said.
The source
What we found
According to FBI crime data, the numbers show there were 281 murders in Houston in 2019.
Four years later, in 2023, 343 murders were reported.
Cruz's claim is mostly true, but needs context -- it's a 22% increase, not 29%.
It's also worth noting that several factors, including the pandemic, have been cited as causes of a spike in violent crime and homicides.
The claim
"He does claim he supports LNG (liquified natural gas), but when it came time to vote, there was a vote in the House of Representatives -- do you support Joe Biden's ban on new permits on LNG? And Congressman Allred voted with Joe Biden, he voted against Texas jobs," Cruz said.
The source
What we found
According to voting records, Allred voted "no" along with 199 other House Democrats on a bill to unlock domestic LNG potential. That vote was on Feb. 15.
A few months later, though, in May, Allred penned an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle seemingly switching positions calling on President Joe Biden to end the pause on permitting new liquified natural gas projects.