Five most cringeworthy moments of Ted Cruz’s maybe-doomed Senate campaign

Get all of Salon's articles, our groundbreaking video interview series Salon Talks, podcasts and exclusive documentaries on your streaming devices for $4.99/month. Start your free 1-week trial today! Please consider disabling your ad blocker and allowing Salon to run ads, which helps keep the content you read here free.

O’Rourke and Cruz clash in heated first debate as climate flies under the radar

SEPTEMBER 21: Rep. Beto O'Rourke makes a point as Sen. Ted Cruz waits his turn during a debate at McFarlin Auditorium at SMU on September 21, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. AUSTIN, TEXAS - Locals jammed into a packed bar in East Austin wasted no time in their reactions during the first senate debate between Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke on Friday night.

Cruz, O’Rourke trade attacks during testy 1st Texas debate

Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O'Rourke repeatedly traded barbs during a testy first debate Friday night, underscoring how a Texas Senate race that long looked like a cakewalk for the conservative incumbent now appears to be anything but one. Cruz went on the attack moments after stepping on the stage, charging that his opponent suggested that police officers embodied "modern-day Jim Crow" laws in response to a question about a Dallas policewoman who shot and killed her unarmed, black neighbor after saying she mistakenly entered his apartment, thinking it was her own.

Beto O’Rourke, Closing in on Ted Cruz, Faces Off With Him in First Texas Debate

Sen. Ted Cruz faced off against Rep. Beto O'Rourke , the El Paso Democrat running a spirited campaign against him, in their first of three debates on Friday. The moment arrived as recent polls have shown a too-close-for-comfort contest and Republicans in Washington D.C. have been concerned that O'Rourke's massive fundraising prowess and personal appeal could lead to an upset.

Vulnerable US senator welcomes Trump in tight Nevada race

Republicans' chances of keeping their majority in the U.S. Senate have become shakier as races in red states like Texas have tightened, but the party's most vulnerable member insists he's bullish about his re-election. The Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller has faced tight races before but never lost an election.

Trump group increasing its support for Texas Rep Sessions

President Donald Trump's biggest super PAC plans to pump another $1 million into a Dallas congressional race where it has already announced spending $1.5 million. America First Action said Wednesday that it would use the funding to help longtime Republican Rep. Pete Sessions in his race against former NFL linebacker Colin Allred.

Beto O’Rourke leads Ted Cruz by 2 among likely voters in U.S. Senate race, new poll finds

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke , D-El Paso, leads Republican incumbent Ted Cruz by 2 percentage points among likely voters, according to an Ipsos online poll released Wednesday in conjunction with Reuters and the University of Virginia. O'Rourke has been closing the gap over the last several months, but this is the first poll that puts him ahead of Cruz.

Analysis: The fight over the Texas Legislature isn’t only in the House

The first peek at the politics of the next legislative session is gestating in San Antonio and points west, where an election on Tuesday will decide who'll be filling Democrat Carlos Uresti 's seat in the Texas Senate. It's one piece of the leadership puzzle that will fully take shape in January, when the Legislature convenes in Austin for its regular session.

Identity, Not Ideology, Driving the Democratic Party

Lisa Page bombshell: FBI couldn't prove Trump-Russia collusion before Mueller appointment - To date, Lisa Page's infamy has been driven mostly by the anti-Donald Trump text messages she exchanged with fellow FBI agent Peter Strzok as the two engaged in an affair while investigating the president Woodward: No Evidence Of Trump-Russia Collusion, I Searched For Two Years - In an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Friday, Bob Woodward said that in his two years of investigating for his new book, 'Fear,' he found no evidence of collusion or espionage between Trump and Russia. Authorities ID 26-year-old Mass.

Texas board votes to drop Hillary Clinton, Helen Keller from history curriculum

The State Board of Education in Texas has voted to drop several historical figures, including Hillary Clinton, Barry Goldwater and Helen Keller, from the state's required social studies curriculum to "streamline" the material for millions of public school students. Members of the volunteer work groups that made such recommendations to the board said the state requires children to learn about too many historical figures.

White House takes back seat on briefings during week of Hurricane Florence

President Trump has repeatedly sought to amplify his administration's preparedness for Hurricane Florence, using social media to stress the dangers of remaining in evacuation zones and urge residents of North and South Carolina to heed warnings from FEMA and state-level authorities. While a president can benefit from appearing to be in charge, they have also learned the hard way how politically risky it can be facing questions on disaster response.

Tornillo tent shelter to grow to 3,800 beds

The expanded temporary tent shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children at the Texas port of entry in Tornillo will operate through Dec. 31. Shelter at Texas port to add thousands of beds for unaccompanied immigrant children The expanded temporary tent shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children at the Texas port of entry in Tornillo will operate through Dec. 31. Check out this story on ElPasoTimes.com: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a video of a June 21, 2018, tour of the tent city for detained immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas.

Democrats want to turn Texas into California with ‘dyed…

Amid a tight re-election fight, Sen. Ted Cruz warned that liberals want to turn Texas into California, "right down to tofu and silicon and dyed hair." Democrats want to turn Texas into California with 'dyed hair' and 'tofu,' Ted Cruz warns Amid a tight re-election fight, Sen. Ted Cruz warned that liberals want to turn Texas into California, "right down to tofu and silicon and dyed hair."

Excitement Builds for Beto’s Challenge to Cruz, but He’s Still Going to Lose

Dr. Mark P. Jones is the fellow in political science at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies at Rice University and co-author of Texas Politics Today. We asked him to share his opinion on the Sen. Ted Cruz vs. Beto O'Rourke race for Senate.

Democrats Cut Party Leaders’ Power to Pick Presidential Nominee

Exclusive: Ex-Trump World Tower doorman releases 'catch-and-kill' contract about alleged Trump affair - A former Trump World Tower doorman who says he has knowledge of an alleged affair President Donald Trump had with an ex-housekeeper, which resulted in a child, is now able to talk Democrats Strip Superdelegates Of Power In Historic Reform Vote - The Democratic National Committee's changes aim to heal the lingering divisions of the 2016 presidential primary.