EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-El Paso, visited El Paso on Sunday, Nov. 3, to hold a rally and get his supporters to get out and vote in Tuesday’s general election.
“The Democrats take El Paso for granted. (Cruz’s Democratic opponent) Colin Allred takes El Paso for granted. Well, let me tell you something. We don’t take El Paso for granted. And we’re here to earn the vote of every man and woman in this town,” Cruz said shortly after taking the stage at Million Air at the El Paso International Airport.
Officials with both the local Democratic and Republican parties commented on Cruz’s visit to El Paso and the upcoming election.
“Today, Ted Cruz is flying in briefly to check off a box that he visited El Paso since we are confident he will lose soundly here. So, as Chair of the El Paso County Democratic Party, I welcome him to one of the safest communities in the United States, which is a stat that our El Paso Democratic leaders and our community have done, not him,” said Michael Apodaca, chair of the El Paso County Democratic Party.
Apodaca also said that Cruz voted to kill a bi-partisan border security bill because “Trump told him to,” and that Cruz left the country during one of the state’s worst winter storms three years ago.
Bob Pena with the local Republican Party offered a starkly different take.
“We have to remember that every vote in El Paso is just as powerful as every vote in East Texas. And the election may come down to El Paso County,” said Pena, precinct chair for the El Paso County Republican Party. “(Trump) has to have a Republican Senate that can help him get our country back in order.”
During Cruz’s visit, he reiterated his campaign’s slogan of “Keep Texas, Texas” to a roaring crowd of supporters holding different signs that read anywhere from “Ted Cruz for Texas,” “Women for Cruz,” or “Hispanics for Cruz.”
Cruz said his 12-year track record serving Texas as a U.S. senator reflected Texans’ and El Pasoans’ values better than opposing candidate U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, despite El Paso’s history as a Democratic stronghold.
“In the Hispanic community, our values are fundamentally conservative. I’m tired of the Democrats taking Hispanics and El Paso for granted. What are the values that resonate in our community? Faith, family, patriotism, and the American Dream,” Cruz said.
Another of Cruz’s driving message was that he and Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump had worked hand in hand during Trump’s presidency on several issues, and urged the crowd to vote Republican down the ballot.
Cruz also touched on several issues — most notably on securing the border, lowering regulations on the oil and gas industry, lowering taxes, and he doubled-down on his overall stance against transgender rights.
Meanwhile, Allred spent the weekend in a seemingly grassroots effort knocking on Texans’ doors in Dallas by Hamilton Park. He also spoke at a rally at the Kessler Theater where he contended that he is everything his opponent is not.
Courtesy: Colin Allred’s Campaign
“At this point, I want to just make sure that every Texan understands what the stakes are — that we don’t have to have a senator who abandons us when we need the most, who goes to Cancun when 30 million Texans are freezing in the dark. You don’t have to have a senator who puts in place an abortion ban like this, and then dodges accountability for it. We don’t have to have one who spends all of his time talking about himself and getting attention for himself, instead of trying to serve our state. I’m the exact opposite,” Allred said.
Election Day is Tuesday. El Pasoans will be able to cast their vote at any voting center in El Paso County.
Voting hours will run from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
You can click here for KTSM’s comprehensive Election Guide.
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