Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) finds himself in a closely contested race for reelection, which became even more intense this week when a well-known local Republican announced his support for the Democratic opponent.
Former Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley has thrown his support behind Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), a move that may not significantly impact Cruz’s chances but does highlight the mounting challenges faced by the GOP as Democrats continue to assert that Texas is shifting towards their favor.
Whitley, serving as Tarrant County judge from 2007 to 2022, held a prominent role as one of the state’s leading local Republican leaders. Throughout his extensive tenure, he had never endorsed a Democrat for any position.
However, in a surprising turn of events, he broke tradition by endorsing Mike Collier, a Democrat, over Dan Patrick in the 2022 Texas lieutenant governor race. This endorsement comes at a time when the Senate race in Texas has unexpectedly become more competitive, leading the Cook Political Report to move the state from the “likely Republican” category to the “lean Republican” category.
Whitley expressed his pride in being both a Texan and an American, emphasizing his desire to support someone who he believes will truly work as part of a team.
He is endorsing both Allred and Harris for the 2024 election.
Whitley, speaking on Inside Texas Politics, acknowledged that some extreme far-right Republicans may criticize his endorsement of Harris and Allred by claiming he was never a true Republican but rather a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
However, Whitley emphasized that he has thoroughly considered his decision and stands by it, pointing out that Collier was the first Democrat he openly endorsed and Harris and Allred will be the second and third.
Whitley revealed that he engaged in conversations with numerous Republicans who expressed their inability to vote for a Democrat. Consequently, they have decided to abstain from voting for the top of the ticket as well as the Senate race.
According to Whitley, he doesn’t think that his endorsement will have an impact on the election in Texas. However, he firmly believes that it will make a difference in other parts of the country.
According to Whitley, Trump’s behavior towards the military and veterans is disrespectful, and he believes that Trump played a role in inciting the Jan. 6 riot. Whitley also highlighted Cruz’s involvement in the Capitol riot and his decision to travel to Cancun during the Texas winter storm as factors influencing his decision not to vote for Cruz.
In addition to voting against Trump, he emphasized that his vote is also in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies and personality. He believes that Harris’s campaign aims to uplift the country and that she will approach policy issues with an open mind. As evidence, he highlighted her change in stance on fracking.
According to Whitley, it is his belief that in 2019, she was initially opposed to fracking due to environmental concerns. However, she approached the issue with an open mind and realized that she could still support fracking while also advocating for clean air initiatives.
In August, Ogg, who has had disagreements with Texas Democrats in recent years, decided to endorse Cruz.
According to Cruz, some former Republicans have made the decision to vote for Kamala Harris due to their strong dislike for Donald Trump.
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According to the Texas senator, there are individuals like Liz Cheney who have openly announced their intention to vote for Kamala Harris. He went on to assert that these individuals are suffering from what he referred to as “Trump derangement syndrome.”
In the Texas Senate race, Democrats have already invested a staggering $49.4 million, primarily funded by the Allred campaign. On the other hand, Republicans have allocated nearly $22.3 million, as per the data from AdImpact. Demonstrating their commitment, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently declared their intention to support Allred’s campaign with a substantial “multimillion-dollar” ad buy-in for Texas.
