Election / Senate

12 - 12:12am

AUSTIN — Ted Cruz won the Republican nomination for Texas’ open U.S. Senate seat as a tea party insurgent and major underdog. Now he heads into the general election the prohibitive favorite and is busy reconciling with a state GOP establishment he long bashed as too moderate. Cruz argues that there’s nothing unusual about his making nice with former foes. “Typically, after a primary, one hopes to see Republicans unite,” he said in an interview. “That’s what’s supposed to happen.”

Texas GOP chooses tea-party-backed Cruz over Dewhurst for Senate 08/01/12 - 6:35am

Cruz grabbed early leads in key cities around the state

AUSTIN — Tea party darling Ted Cruz convincingly defeated the Republican establishment favorite, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in Texas’ runoff election Tuesday, capturing the GOP nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as fiercely conservative voters shook one of America’s reddest states to its political core.

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Dewhurst, Cruz appeal to bases on eve of Texas runoff 07/31/12 - 12:09am

The race is being watched nationally as a test for the tea party

SAN ANTONIO — The two Republicans vying for the U.S. Senate nomination in Texas spent the final hours of their white-hot runoff race rallying their bases Monday, with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst making a hard appeal to veterans and tea party-backed Ted Cruz taking his anti-establishment message to radio and television stations. The race is being watched nationally as a test for the tea party against well-entrenched Texas Republicans who aren’t used to losing. Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.

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Sen. candidate Dewhurst makes stop in Lubbock before primary election. 07/29/12 - 1:05am

Lubbock was Dewhurst's second stop in his sweep through West Texas.

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, made an appearance Saturday in Lubbock at Red Zone Cafe, rallying last-minute support for the Tuesday primary runoff election. Lubbock was Dewhurst’s second stop in his sweep through West Texas, following Amarillo. State Sen. Robert Duncan of Lubbock accompanied Dewhurst in talking with the restaurant patrons and telling them not to forget to vote.

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Dewhurst, Cruz trade attacks 07/18/12 - 12:53am

Campaigners grill each other on legal, financial involvement in China

DALLAS — The Republicans vying to fill Texas’ open U.S. Senate seat traded increasingly pointed attacks during a debate Tuesday night, as their already fiercely contested race enters its final two weeks. But the best news of the night for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst came moments after the debate, when former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert endorsed him over ex-state Solicitor General Ted Cruz. Leppert finished third behind Dewhurst and Cruz in the Republican primary on May 29, and had refused to back either.

Dewhurst, Cruz accuse each other of lying 07/17/12 - 12:06am

AUSTIN — The two Republicans vying for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat accused each other of lying about their records Monday on the eve of a debate that could feature even more mudslinging as the bitter campaign roars into its final two weeks.

Texas tea party feud pits Cruz against Patrick 06/30/12 - 12:12am

AUSTIN — Long-simmering tensions between tea party-backed U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz and Sen. Dan Patrick, a leading tea party voice in the Texas Legislature, have boiled over during a radio interview. Cruz, a former state solicitor general, appeared on Patrick’s radio show Thursday and claimed the host is indirectly supporting his opponent, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — saying Patrick had been “acting as a surrogate” for months. Patrick responded that he has not endorsed anyone, but also accused Cruz of lying and not understanding how the Legislature works.

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Texas U.S. Senate debate features a lot of agreement 06/23/12 - 12:33am

Candidates seem to agree on illegal immigration, health care and foreign policy

DALLAS — Bitter rivals for Texas’ Republican U.S. Senate nomination have traded small barbs in a debate — but largely agree on the big issues. There were some fireworks Friday between former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. But they struggled to differentiate themselves on illegal immigration, health care and foreign policy. Cruz is a tea party favorite, while the GOP establishment has backed Dewhurst. The debate at KERA in Dallas was the first of at least two planned before the July 31 senatorial runoff.

Senate rivals battle over who's more conservative 06/16/12 - 12:10am

KERRVILLE — The two Texans embroiled in a white-hot battle for the state’s Republican U.S. Senate nomination each addressed the same GOP women’s group Friday and claimed they were more conservative than their opponent. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz sat at tables separated only by a raised podium, but were careful not to cross paths before and after their dueling speeches in Kerrville, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Senate race, immigration split Texas GOP meeting 06/11/12 - 12:06am

FORT WORTH — The Texas Republican Convention began with a chorus of boos, long and loud, for Gov. Rick Perry — a former Republican presidential candidate and the longest-serving governor in state history. It ended with two opponents for the GOP’s U.S. Senate nomination slugging it out in dueling floor speeches. So much for party unity.