Sen. Ted Cruz warned on his podcast that Republicans could lose as many as eight Senate seats and be swept in all statewide Texas contests if the GOP has “a bad day” on Nov. 3, the Senator said on his show “The Verdict with Ted Cruz.”
Cruz told listeners there are “eight to 10 Senate races across the country that are basically tied,” and that on a bad night Republicans could wake up with 45 seats instead of the roughly 53 they hold, he said, framing the gap as the consequence of massive Democratic early turnout. The remarks were reported by The Hill and Politico after the episode aired.
On the episode Cruz urged Republican voters to turn out, saying “the Democrats are massively out-turning out the Republicans” and pleading, “Please, please, please show up and vote,” according to The Hill. He warned specifically that “Texas is excruciatingly close” and that Republicans could lose every statewide race in the state if turnout falls short.
Those warnings came as early-vote returns and polling showed several competitive contests, and Cruz described the stakes in raw numbers: “If we have a good night… we could end up with 53 Republicans in the Senate. We could end up growing our majority. If we have a bad day… we could wake up the day after Election Day… with 45,” he said, as quoted by Politico and The Hill.
Political groups and outside spenders have been active in battleground states; Politico noted super PACs have poured money into the Texas Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Analysts and forecasters have shifted several races close to Democrats in recent days, increasing the scenarios Cruz warned about.
For readers tracking the broader map, pollsters and outlets now show multiple toss-up contests that could swing control of the Senate; that dynamic is the context Cruz cited as he campaigned across Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan and Iowa in recent days. For state-level concerns, see reporting that Republicans fear races slipping in North Carolina and Georgia.
Whether Cruz’s pessimistic scenario plays out will depend on turnout patterns on Election Day and the distribution of close margins in a handful of competitive states, a point echoed in national midterm overviews tracking the Senate and House edges.
Sources
- The Hill — transcript and summary of Cruz’s podcast remarks warning Republicans could lose eight Senate seats and be swept in Texas.
- Politico — coverage of Cruz’s comments on turnout, the ‘‘eight to 10’’ tied races he cited, and details on spending in Texas.
