Analysis of Senator Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke

In the United States Senate Elections

In the united states, elections for various positions will be held in a week's time. One of the seats under contest is that of the Senate in different states. The Senate elections in the state of Texas will be held on 6th November 2018. In this state, the race has narrowed down to two contestants from the major political parties in the country. From the time the primaries of both parties were held in March, the race has been tight. The Republican candidate, Ted Cruz, has maintained a gap in the popular vote over the Democrat nominee, Beto O'Rourke.^[1]

Republican and Democrat Candidates in Texas

Libertarian nominee, Niel Dikeman is ranked lowest indicating that his chances of securing the seat are minimal, compared to the other candidates. Therefore, as it stands, the race is between the Republican and Democrat candidates.

Ted Cruz's Bid for Reelection

The Republican candidate, Ted Cruz, is seeking his reelection to the office for a second term. He has been in office from the year 2012 when he defeated Paul Sadler by a massive 16-point margin. However, the race this time is tight as the gap is narrow. Cruz was born and raised in Texas. He attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He worked as a Law professor at the University of Texas. He has worked in various positions in the government such as the Federal Trade Commission and served as Solicitor General of the state of Texas between the year 2003 and 2008.^[2]

Ted Cruz's Achievements

Cruz held the first elected office in 2012 after winning the Senate election. As a senator of the United State, Cruz has several marked achievements. He authored several bills that were passed to laws in the Congress. For instance, he created the bill that banned known terrorists from entering the country. Also, he authored and passed a law that gave $5 billion tax relief for the Hurricane victims.^[3]

In his first term a senator, Ted Cruz created and passed 34 laws which highlight his hard work.

Ted Cruz's Priorities for Reelection

One of the key issues Ted Cruz has given priority in his manifesto in his efforts for reelection is the border security. He supports enacting laws that are aimed at stopping illegal immigration. This is similar to the view held by the Republicans such as President Trump. The issue of immigration creates a heated debate as the republicans and democrats have differing views. By curbing illegal immigration, the senator postulates that the risk of terrorism and other crimes will be reduced. Another issue given priority is taxes. The Republican supports the reduction of taxes for the people of the United States. Healthcare is another issue the senator focuses on. He supports the repealing of the Obamacare and creation of a new healthcare plan that will be of more benefits to the people.

Beto O'Rourke's Campaign

Beto O'Rourke is a Texas citizen who was born in El Paso. he was a successful businessperson in the region. He has not held as many public administrative offices as Ted Cruz. Beto started a political career in the year 2005 when he ran and won the El Paso City Council. He served for two terms and in the year 2012, he entered the United State Congress. He is known for his campaign strategy that involves traveling to all the counties and having face-to-face conversations with the voters. For instance, in this election campaign, Beto has visited all the Counties in the state of Texas where he engages directly with the constituents.^[4]

Beto O'Rourke's Priorities

In the Congress, Beto has focused on fighting for the welfare and benefits of the veterans. He also helped in passing the No PAC Act that stopped political candidates from relying on the PAC money to fund their campaigns.

Healthcare is one of the issues Beto prioritizes. There are many people in Texas, and in the country that cannot afford basic medical care because they are not insured. Beto shows his support for the Affordable Care Act and universal healthcare coverage.^[5]

Another issue he supports is tightening the legislation on gun ownership. Gun violence and licensing is a controversial issue in the country and the Democrat supports gun regulation. Beto also shows concern for agriculture and disability rights.

Election Polls and Predictions

Although the Republican has maintained a lead for months, the gap is narrow which implies that the votes could sway either side after tallying. According to Burke, Senator Cruz has a three-point lead on the survey conducted by the Emerson College poll. Cruz has a 50 per cent popularity as compared to 47 per cent held by Beto.^[6]

In another poll survey conducted by the Quinnipiac University, Cruz has a lead of five points. The poll results indicated a 51-46 popularity vote.^[7]

The statistics from different sources indicate that the incumbent senator is highly likely to retain the seat. My expected result is that Senator Cruz will retain his seat. This is because he has high popularity in all the surveys and that there have been no Democrat leaders in Texas since 1994.^[8]

Bibliography

Burke, Michael. "Poll: Cruz Leads O'Rourke by 3 Points in Texas Senate Race."The Hill,     November 1, 2018.

Gillman, Todd. "Beto O'Rourke Closes in but Ted Cruz Still Holds Narrow Lead in Texas Senate   Race."Dallas News, November 2, 2018.

The Economist. "The Texas Senate Race is The Most Interesting Contest of 2018."            Economist.com, October 6, 2018.https://www.economist.com/united-            states/2018/10/06/the-texas-senate-race-is-the-most-interesting-contest-of-2018

[1] Michael Burke, "Poll: Cruz Leads O'Rourke by 3 Points in Texas Senate Race"The Hill, November 1, 2018.

[2] Todd Gillman, "Beto O'Rourke Closes in but Ted Cruz Still Holds Narrow Lead in Texas Senate Race,"Dallas News, November 2, 2018.

[3] The Economist, "The Texas Senate Race is The Most Interesting Contest of 2018,"Economist.com, October 6, 2018.https://www.economist.com/united-states/2018/10/06/the-texas-senate-race-is-the-most-interesting-contest-of-2018

[4] Gillman, "Beto O'Rourke Closes in but Ted Cruz Still Holds Narrow Lead.”

[5] The Economist, "The Texas Senate Race is The Most Interesting Contest of 2018.”

[6] Burke, "Poll: Cruz Leads O'Rourke by 3 Points.”

[7] Gillman, "Beto O'Rourke Closes in but Ted Cruz Still Holds Narrow Lead.”

[8] The Economist, "The Texas Senate Race is The Most Interesting Contest of 2018.”