Cruz leads Allred by 3 points in new poll

Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is gaining traction in his bid to oust Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this fall, with new polling showing him trailing the incumbent by just 3 percentage points.

The latest survey of likely voters, conducted by the University of Houston’s School of Public Affairs and the School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, found Cruz ahead 47 percent to Allred’s 44 percent. Cruz was up by 9 points in earlier this year.

Three percent of those surveyed said they plan to vote for Libertarian Ted Brown, while 6 percent said they remain undecided.

About 7 percent of the voters who said they back Cruz said they are open to possibly changing their minds, while 8 percent of Allred’s supporters said the same of the chances they could be flipped.

Cruz, 53, is seeking a third Senate term. Allred, 41, has been in the House since 2019.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the seat as “likely Republican.”

The latest poll found that most Texas voters already have made up their minds about what they think of Cruz, while Allred remains lesser known by about a quarter of respondents.

Cruz was seen as a rising star in the GOP ranks and became a top rival to former President Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He has since embraced Trump.

Cruz endorsed Trump’s campaign for a second White House term this year, and he has defended the former president in his legal battles.

About 49 percent of likely voters surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Cruz (27 percent very favorable), while 48 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him (38 percent very unfavorable). Just 3 percent said they don’t know enough about Cruz to have an opinion.

Meanwhile, 46 percent of likely voters surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Allred (21 percent very favorable), while 31 percent have an unfavorable opinion (17 percent very unfavorable). About 23 percent of Texas voters surveyed said they don’t know enough about Allred to have an opinion.

Allred’s campaign raised more than $10.5 million during the April to June reporting period, while Cruz reported raising $12.6 million during the second quarter.

Early voting in Texas for the Nov. 5 general election begins Oct. 21.

The Texas survey of 1,484 likely voters was conducted between June 20 and July 1 in English and Spanish. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.