WASHINGTON — With less than 100 days to go until the November election, Texas Democrats said they are going on the offensive when it comes to taking on Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the fall. Democrats down the ballot are coordinating in ways they have not in 20 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Less than 100 days before the election, Democrats officially launched a new statewide effort called Texas Offense between the state party and Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, in an effort to defeat Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in November 

  • In his Senate campaign, Allred is leaning into his background as a former NFL player, and the initiative is called Texas Offense

  • Part of the effort is to allow Democratic candidates to share volunteer resources and coordinate strategies from block walking and phone banking to get-out-the-vote efforts 

  • In a statement to Spectrum News, a Cruz campaign spokesperson said, in part, "Allred’s last ditch effort to campaign will fall short"

Outside of a Texas Democrats rally in Houston on Sunday, supporters told Spectrum News why it was important to them to turn the Lone Star State blue.

“Republicans have been running Texas for a very long time and representing Texas, and we are not in a great place,” said volunteer Anne Marie Barrios.  

With a hundred days before the election, Democrats officially launched a new statewide effort between the state party and Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, to try to defeat Cruz. Allred, a civil rights attorney, was elected to the U.S. House in 2018 by flipping a long-held GOP seat. In his Senate campaign, Allred is leaning into his background as a former NFL player. The initiative is called Texas Offense.

“My entire football career, I played defense. I was a linebacker. My job was to put folks on the ground, but now we’re going on offense,” Allred said. “A hundred days for the state you believe in. A hundred days for the community you know that you come from. A hundred days for the country you know we can be. What would you do to sit down on Nov. 5 and hear that Ted Cruz is going down?” 

The rally also featured Amanda Zurawksi, who sued the state over its abortion restrictions, and several Texas Democrats.

“Texas is not a red state, it’s a blue state that does not vote,” said Rodney Ellis, Harris County Precinct One commissioner.

Part of the effort is to allow Democratic candidates to share volunteer resources and coordinate strategies from block walking and phone banking to get-out-the-vote efforts. The Texas Democratic Party said it is the first partnership of its kind in two decades. 

“This is a historic partnership that will help galvanize grassroots excitement for Congressman Allred across our state. One conversation at a time, with Texans talking to Texans—we are going to send Ted Cruz packing,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party.

Johnny Solis said he has been in involved in more than two dozen campaigns. 

“Getting people energized, knocking on doors, making phone calls, speaking at events —  it’s so important that we get out and we get out the vote, and, you know, we got to fight, we got to fight,” Solis told Spectrum News. “This is democracy, and we got to save it.”

Meanwhile, Cruz hopes to show his bipartisan chops as he seeks a third term in the Senate. Last week, he launched a $4.4 million Spanish language advertising campaign. 

In a statement to Spectrum News, a Cruz campaign spokesperson said, “With a little over 100 days until Election Day, there is no question that Colin Allred’s last ditch effort to campaign will fall short. It doesn’t matter how hard they try, the Texas Democrats fall flat on their face every electoral cycle and this time will be no different. While Allred campaigns on Kamala Harris’ radical open borders agenda, Senator Ted Cruz will continue fighting for security, jobs, and freedom to ensure we keep Texas, Texas.” 

A Democrat has not won statewide in Texas since 1994.