Roland Gutierrez Challenges Ted Cruz in Texas Senate Race

Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez has officially entered the Democratic primary to challenge Republican Senator Ted Cruz in the 2024 U.S. Senate race. In his campaign announcement video, Gutierrez criticized Cruz for neglecting the needs of Texans, particularly the working class, and highlighted Cruz's controversial trip to Cancun during the Texas power-grid collapse. Gutierrez's entry sets up a primary matchup with U.S. Representative Colin Allred, who announced his campaign in May. Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, but Gutierrez aims to build on the momentum generated by Beto O'Rourke's close race against Cruz in 2018.