Conservatives from the Lone Star state are worried. Slowly yet undeniably, we’ve watched the Democrats sway more and more voters over the last few election cycles. No one showed much surprise when Houston went Dem. Austin has always been known as a liberal bastian despite it being the state capital. Dallas and other large cities seem to be following suit. It’s something we’ve all been aware of, especially after the last senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke. Cruz came much too close to losing. Now, as we near the November elections, more folks are asking if we are about to see a repeat of that close election, except this time with Cruz being on the losing end.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big Cruz supporter. As noted in USA Today yesterday, he’s the right senator for Texas. The piece is also right that this is a “feels” election, not just at the presidential level but also in the Cruz-Allred election. It is also a race of impressions. One where the incumbant is identified with a former president and current presidential candidate, a brash candidate who often gives the impression of speaking before thinking. His opponent is younger, attractive, and one who isn’t afraid of showing he’s a family man and who rolls up his sleeves to prove he’s one of the “common men”.

Sound famliar? It is almost a repeat of the election six years ago. The Democratic candidate has changed and Allred is easier to take seriously than O’Rourke ever was. What hasn’t changed is how Cruz is running his election. I can’t tell you the last time I saw an ad, print or TV, for Cruz. Sure, he’s made some of the news talk shows. He holds his fundraisers. But where are his rallies with those in the state who can’t afford hundreds or thousands of dollars a plate to attend a fundraiser? If you go to his campaign website, there’s not a single rally or event listed, at least not that I could find. To the jaded, it comes across as the site for someone who is resting on his laurels, not someone hungry to keep his office and to serve the best interests of his constituents.

Compare that with Allred’s website and you’ll see a perfect example of how differently the candidates are approaching the campaign. Cruz’s site talks about what he’s done for the state. There’s little specificially discussing the issues. Allred’s site very carefully–and effectively–introduces the public to him and to his wife. The “news” section is much more focused on what the media is saying about the candidates and the election than Cruz’s is. Specific issues and his stance on them are listed. So are his campaign events, from virtual meetings to phone banks to block walks and more.

Comparing the two sites, Allred appears much more available to the voters and that worries me more than I want to admit.

Six years ago, Cruz won by a mere 3%. The latest polls show Allred closing the gap. One poll last month, showed him trailing Cruz by 4%. Another poll showed the gap at 2%. That should worry every Conservative in the state. Most of all, it should worry Cruz. Yet we’re hearing crickets from his campaign.

Allred presents a greater danger to Cruz that O’Rourke ever did. O’Rourke always came across as the frat boy who had yet to grow up. Allred hits so many notes that resonate with Texas voters it isn’t funny. Former pro football player. Young. Attractive. Family man. Comes across as moderate on most issues until you start digging deep enough. On the surface, he is everything voters in the state could want.

And that makes him dangerous to the Cruz campaign.

If there is a saving grace to all this, and something that might help Cruz remain in office, it’s the fact Allred remains relatively unknown outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But that is changing. Among the major newspapers in the state to endorse him are the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News. Neither are that surprising. What is surprising is how both the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram have also endorsed him. To get those two papers, market competitors for decades, to agree on anything takes a miracle. That they are on a political race should sound alarms throughout the Cruz campaign.

There is a distinct possibility Allred could pull this off. Cruz needs to admit, to himself if no one else, that re-election isn’t guaranteed. He needs to return to the roots that first elected him. He needs to get out and meet his constituents, press the flesh, even if only virtually. When he appears in the news, it needs to be for more reasons than to support something Trump has said (although that’s not necessarily a bad thing). He needs to look like he’s putting in an effort to gain our votes instead of acting like he deserves them.

Texas is going to be in real trouble if we lose this Senate seat. Cruz has fought for us, just as he has fought for the best interests of our country. Now we need him to fight again, to show he still cares about the voters and wants our support. For our part, whether he changes his campaign strategy or not, we need to make sure we get out to vote. So very much hangs in the balance. While I don’t have a lot of trust in polls, I’ve also learned we can’t ignore them becuase the more they are reported on, the more certain folks will believe them.

With so many voters still undecided, it is time for Cruz to step up and take the race seriously.

If I could say anything to Senator Cruz, it would be to focus on the issues. Show the differences between you and Allred. Don’t play the bulldog all the time. Show the family man side of you. Show your concern for those families who have lost loved ones to violent crime, whether the crime was committed by someone born here or who is here illegally. Don’t shy away from your stance on abortion and let the voters know why you feel that way. Don’t just parrot what Trump–or anyone else–says. That bit you in the butt last week when you repeated the story about Haitians eating cats, a story that has pretty much been debunked. In other words, get back to what first elected and then re-elected you to the Senate.

Please. For the good of Texas and for the good of the U.S.

Featured Image: US Senator Ted Cruz official portrait, 2019. This United States Congress image is in the public domain.