Ted Cruz bets Texas re-election on transgeder issues

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has made the issue of transgender athletes competing in women's sports a central theme in his increasingly competitive reelection campaign. Recently, his Democratic challenger , Rep. Colin Allred , responded to a series of ads from Cruz and his allies, which portrayed Allred as overly liberal by accusing him of supporting male athletes in women's sports. In a rebuttal, Allred declared that he doesn’t support boys competing in girls' sports, calling Cruz's assertions “ridiculous.”

This gave Cruz further ammunition, leading to a new campaign ad that featured Allred’s response while accusing him of voting to allow boys to use girls’ locker rooms and failing to protect girls' sports from male athletes. The ad also claims Allred supports using taxpayer money for gender reassignment surgeries for minors. The ad concludes with a stark contrast between Allred's public statements and his voting record, reinforcing the message that “Allred says one thing, but his actions say another.”

Such responses from Democrats are relatively rare in the media. However, when they do engage with these attacks, as Allred did, it can disrupt Republicans' attempts to control the narrative. Across the country, Republicans in tight races have increasingly focused on anti-transgender rhetoric, particularly regarding transgender athletes, as a strategy to energise their base—something that could be crucial for Cruz as he faces a tough election.

Texas, a state where a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide race in thirty years, sees this as an important battleground.

Allred's Statements vs. Voting Record
Transgender Athletes: Allred has stated he doesn’t support boys playing in girls' sports. However, his voting record includes opposition to bills like the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prevent biological males from participating in female sports.

Energy Policy: Allred has claimed he would defend Texas's energy industry, but his votes tell a different story. He voted against measures like the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act and efforts to safeguard fracking, despite Texas being a key energy state.

Border Security : Allred has said he supports finding bipartisan solutions for the border crisis. However, he voted against the Secure the Border Act and other initiatives designed to address border security and immigration enforcement.

Law Enforcement: While Allred has expressed support for the police, he has also supported measures that could restrict police funding, such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and has been aligned with groups critical of law enforcement practices.

Israel: Allred claims to support Israel, yet he has voted against various measures supporting Israel’s security, including sanctions on Hamas and funding for Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

Support for Biden: Despite his claims of criticising the Biden administration when necessary, Allred has consistently aligned with Democratic leadership, voting in step with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and backing Biden’s policies.

Economic Policy: Allred has portrayed himself as pro-business, but he opposed the GOP tax cuts of 2017 and supported the Build Back Better Act, which would have introduced substantial tax increases. He has also backed policies that critics say would harm middle-class Americans, such as hiring thousands of new IRS agents.

Abortion: Allred has opposed legislation that would provide protection for babies who survive abortions, positioning himself as an advocate of more permissive abortion policies.

Cruz’s campaign is capitalising on these discrepancies to portray Allred as out of touch with Texas voters, urging supporters to donate to stop what they call “Radical Colin Allred.”