The debate was combative right from the start, with Cruz and Allred exchanging barbs about nearly every topic that was raised.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred fought over immigration, transgender issues, and abortion in a spirited debate on Tuesday. It is expected that this will be the last time the two candidates face each other before the November 5th election.

Cruz repeatedly reminded the audience that Allred’s voting history was more important than his attempts to present himself as moderate. He tried to link Allred with Vice President Kamala Harris by claiming that both “voted for open borders repeatedly” and were responsible for the surge in inflation during the Biden administration.

Cruz began the debate by saying, “We do a lot of things right in Texas.” Colin Allred wants that to change. “I want Texas to stay Texas.”

Allred responded by calling Cruz a bomb-thrower partisan with little legislative success to show for nearly 12 years of office. He criticised Cruz for blocking a bipartisan border bill earlier this year, and claimed that the GOP senator “only cared about himself” – citing Cruz’s 2021 trip to Cancun during a historic Texas winter storm.

Allred said, “He is never there when we need to talk.” When the lights went off in the world’s energy capital, he went Cancun. He was in a closet when a mob stormed the Capitol. When the United States Senate debated the most severe border security legislation in decades, he voted it down.

The debate at WFAA-TV in Dallas was combative right from the start. Cruz and Allred traded barbs about nearly every topic that came up. Allred called Cruz, in his opening statement “the most extreme” senator of the past 30 years. Cruz concluded by saying that Allred wanted to “destroy what we have in Texas” because he shared Nancy Pelosi’s and Kamala’s Harris’ values.

The debate started with an emphasis on Texas’s abortion ban which excludes cases of rape or incest. Allred’s campaign has focused on restoring access to abortion, while Cruz has avoided the topic. Cruz refused to take a stand on Tuesday when asked about his position on the issue of rape or incest exceptions. He then went on to criticize Allred’s TV ads that blamed him for the issue.

Cruz: “You know that Congressman Allred has run all kinds of ads saying I made this choice.” “I do not serve in the state Legislature.” “I’m not governor.”

Allred is promoting the state’s abortion ban as the campaign nears its end. He has run ads highlighting the stories of women forced to leave their state because they were denied emergency medical treatment for pregnancy complications. He raised the issue once again on Tuesday night, disputing Cruz’s claim that he is “pro-life.”

Allred turned to Cruz and said “You’re pro-life.” It’s not pro life to deny women’s care for so long as they cannot have children. It is not pro-life for a rape victim to be forced to carry the baby of their rapist. When Ted Cruz says that he is pro-life, it doesn’t mean you.

Allred went on the defensive when he was questioned about a series ads Cruz and his supporters ran accusing the Dallas Democrat that he supported legislation allowing men to use the women’s bathrooms and boys to participate in girl’s sports.

The ads mention Allred’s opposition to the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023. This GOP bill would stop federal funding for athletic programs which allow men to compete in girls’ or women’s sports based on “a person’s reproduction biology and genetics as of birth”.

Allred called the attacks a “Hail Mary”, and a desperate attempt to divert attention from Cruz’s position on abortion. She also said it was “laughable”, for Cruz to claim he wanted to protect women.

Allred stated, “I believe that people should not be treated unfairly.” “What Senator Cruz needs to do is explain why he believes they should.”

Cruz criticized Allred for her support of a bill in 2021 called the Equality Act. This would have prohibited gender discrimination, including that based on whether a person was transgender, in public spaces. Cruz also attacked Allred for signing a letter with dozens other House Democrats that asked GOP lawmakers to remove provisions from an annual defense bill that included “restricting medically needed care for transgender members of the military” and limiting the use of pride banners on bases.

You know what he said? Cruz said that military bases should host drag shows, and they should be allowed to fly the transgender flag over them. “Call it old-fashioned, but I believe the only flag which should fly over our military base is the American flag.

Cruz was also questioned at the debate about his comments on the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Cruz initially called the event a violent terrorist attack, before walking back his comment and calling it “sloppy”, “dumb” and “sloppy”.

Cruz made the statement in reference to the protests following the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer. “If you commit a violent act, you should be sent to prison, and there shouldn’t be any political favoritism.”

Allred tried to refocus discussion on Cruz’s involvement in certification of the 2020 elections. He urged colleagues not to accept the results of some states, and he called for a 10-day investigation into unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the disputed state. Allred called Cruz “a threat” to democracy and reminded of the horrifying events that took place in the days following the election, when Congressmen were instructed to “look beneath our feet for gasmas.”

Both candidates have presented themselves as moderates who are willing to work with politicians from the other party. They both tout crossover support by politicians of the opposite party. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger and other former U.S. Reps are among Allred’s GOP backers. They’re both leading critics of Donald Trump’s former presidency. Kim Ogg of Harris County, who lost in the Democratic Primary earlier this year, has endorsed Cruz. Ogg is a prominent member of “Democrats for Cruz”, a coalition that was assembled by the GOP Senator to help soften his image as partisan bomb-thriller