Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas returns to Washington after fending off a challenge from Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, NBC News projects.

Cruz was expected to win a third term in the deep red state, but the race tightened in recent weeks, drawing national attention and scrutiny when Allred, a prolific fundraiser, spent millions of dollars on television ads and digital outlets criticizing Cruz for his support of the state’s six-week abortion ban.

But the senator kept his deficit among women to a small margin, according to the NBC News exit poll: 47% of female voters voted for Cruz this year, compared to 51% who voted for Allred.

Cruz was boosted by the gains he made among Latino voters in the Lone Star State, according to NBC News exit polls.

Fifty-two percent of Hispanic and Latino voters in the state said they voted for Cruz, compared to just 35% of Hispanic and Latino voters who voted for the senator. in 2018according to NBC News exit poll.

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In addition to focusing on abortion, Allred’s campaign also focused attention on Cruz’s decision. vacations to Cancun in 2021 in the midst of a statewide energy crisis due to a severe winter storm.

Cruz, 53, defended himself, seeking in the final weeks of the campaign paint allred like wanting to allow boys to play women’s sports. He also linked Allred, 43, to Vice President Kamala Harris, who was expected to lose the presidential vote in the state. calling the two Democrats “two liberals,” or “two liberals” in Spanish advertising.

In the end, Allred’s campaign spent more than $50 million on ads during the race, between Labor Day and Election Day alone, according to AdImpact. Cruz’s campaign spent $26 million in that time, with an additional $23 million spent by the Truth and Courage PAC, a group that supports Cruz.

In the final weeks of the race, Cruz also complained that he lacked support from Republican leaders. Specifically, he lamented that the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was not spending money to boost him or defeat Allred.

In the end, Allred’s bipartisan message and appeal to voters concerned about abortion rights were not enough. Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist, said in an interview before Election Day that electing a Democrat as senator in such a red state was a long shot. And Cruz’s party affiliation was perhaps his most valuable asset.

“He’s a Republican in a Republican state, short and sweet. That’s what wins,” Bartlett said. “Texas will go for Trump over Harris, and it’s nearly impossible for a Democrat in Texas to beat the top of the ticket.”