‘All hat and no cattle’

Allred repeatedly painted Cruz as a right-wing extremist and an ineffectual leader. He hit Cruz on abortion rights. Texas has one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws, which Cruz has supported, and Allred tied him to the impact that these restrictions have had on women in the state.

Allred: He just looked into a camera and lied to Texans.. you should look into camera and speak to Kate Cox and explain to her why you said it’s perfectly reasonable why she was forced to leave her two children behind and flee our state to receive care pic.twitter.com/yVYKMk61f3

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Allred attacked Cruz on not doing more to fix the border security problem, including rejecting a tough bipartisan border security bill that Trump opposed. He also reminded viewers of a controversial incident when Cruz left Texas for Cancún, Mexico, during a 2021 winter storm that killed over 200 people and left millions without power in Texas. “This is a pattern for him. He’s never there for us when we need him.”

Colin Allred is having a remarkably effective debate against Ted Cruz. Just eviscerating his all hat and no cattle views on immigration. pic.twitter.com/WH3xs7ijgP

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) October 16, 2024

Overall, Allred painted Cruz as someone who “talks tough, but he never shows up,” using a Texas phrase to describe Cruz: “All hat and no cattle.”

Ted Cruz is all hat, no cattle. pic.twitter.com/f2UOnpw4SC

— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) October 16, 2024

Texas, despite not electing a Democrat to statewide office in decades, has emerged as a battleground state that could have a huge impact on both Congress and the presidential race. The Senate contest in Texas is tight, with Cruz enjoying a narrow lead over Allred prior to Tuesday’s debate. Now that both candidates have had the chance to face off against each other, Cruz will continue fighting to hold his seat, while Allred hopes that his strong debate performance will help him pull off an upset victory in November.

Things You Still Ask Your Momma: Adulting Edition

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week