Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a stark warning on Wednesday evening, saying that "Texans will be hurt" by the Democratic wave that swept across the state in Tuesday's midterm elections. In a lengthy social media post, Cruz lamented the party's losses, which included the governor's mansion and a U.S. Senate seat.
Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa captured the Senate seat and the governorship, respectively, marking a historic shift in Texas politics. Talarico defeated Republican nominee Ken Paxton by more than 12 points, according to Decision Desk HQ, while Hinojosa unseated incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott.
Cruz, who remains the only statewide elected Republican in Texas, acknowledged the magnitude of the defeat. "Texas is blue. That is a hard sentence to utter," he wrote. "But Texas, today at least, is blue. As we sit here today, I am the only statewide elected Republican who remains in Texas. That's not something I ever thought I would say."
The senator warned that Democratic policies would harm the state's business climate, particularly in the technology sector. "Their assault on business will make Texas a much less attractive place to start or grow a small business," he wrote. "Texas will become more like California if they succeed in halting all new investment into AI."
Cruz said he had a "pleasant conversation" with Talarico on Tuesday night, congratulating him on his "very impressive victory." He expressed a willingness to work across the aisle, saying he told the senator-elect that "I looked forward to working with him to try to benefit Texas."
Despite the losses, Cruz outlined a two-pronged strategy for Republicans over the next two years: "fight the madness" and "rebuild." He voiced optimism about the party's future, writing, "Texas will be red again. We have not suddenly become a bunch of tofu-eating, gun-banning, tutu-wearing pinko commie liberals. That ain't us. Texas is still Texas."
Outgoing GOP Sen. John Cornyn echoed similar sentiments in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, urging his party to refocus on winning principles. "This week's beat-down wasn't only foreseeable, it was foreseen," he wrote, pointing to failures in candidate messaging and the Trump administration's inability to deliver on campaign promises.
The Republican losses in Texas were part of a broader national trend, with Democrats also making gains in other states. In a related development, Trump blamed Abbott's 'RINO' turn for the historic loss, while other races saw shifts, including the Texas Railroad Commissioner race flipping to a Democrat after a racist post.
Both Cruz and Cornyn expressed confidence that Republicans would regain the lost seats in future cycles, but acknowledged the need for introspection and strategic adjustments. As Cruz put it, the party must rebuild its appeal to Texas voters.
