JOURDANTON, Texas (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Colin Allred are making their final addresses to Texas voters in a frenetic flurry of trips across the state near the end of one of the most expensive trips in the country. . and closely watched Senate elections.

Crosswho is in another competitive competition after narrowly win a second term in 2018is leaning toward conservative promises of tougher border measures and attacks on policies that support transgender people, including at a bus rally outside San Antonio on Tuesday.

Allred, who would become Texas’ first black senator, spent a day touring Houston, the state’s largest city and a crucial Democratic stronghold for the underdog congressman, who needs a strong showing from loyal Democrats to unseat the incumbent. At a rally at Texas Southern University, a historically black university, the three-term congressman emphasized his support for abortion rights and blamed Cruz for limiting women’s access to reproductive health care.

State elections in Texas have been out of reach for Democrats for decades, but recent signs that the race could be close have led some to think that 2024 could finally be the year. It’s an ambitious goal, but one of the few chances of recovery for Democrats in a year in which they defend twice as many Senate seats as Republicans nationally.

A surprise victory in Texas would dramatically increase his chances of maintaining his slim majority in the Senate.

Both candidates combined have raised more than $160 million in the race.

Last week, Democrats backing Allred announced a 5 million dollar advertising campaign on women’s reproductive freedom.

At one of his stops in Houston, Allred asked voters to turn the page on divisive politics and look for leaders who can get something done.

“I don’t spend my time dropping bombs,” he said. “I work hard, not because bipartisanship is the ultimate goal, because that’s how things are done.”

About 250 miles (402 kilometers) to the west, at a rally in the rural South Texas town of Jourdanton, Cruz presented himself as the reasonable candidate.

“This is no longer a battle between Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “This is a battle between the sane and the crazy.”

Dust swirled in and around a warehouse in Jourdanton on a warm October afternoon as Cruz supporters donned “Make America Great Again” hats and waved signs with Cruz’s slogan “Keep Texas , Texas.” Cruz stood on the back of a pickup truck and gave a nearly 40-minute speech, presenting the race as a battle between tradition and change.

The Senate race has drawn the most attention and money in Texas, as Allred, a three-term congressman from Dallas, seeks to unseat Cruz and do what no Democrat has done in 30 years: win a state election in the second most populated state in the country. state. Cruz has sought to link Allred to Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration, LGBTQ+ issues and the economy.

In a state with some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, Cruz has largely avoided the topic.

Cruz narrowly defeated Beto O’Rourke in 2018 in his last re-election campaign, and Democrats see the Senate race as an opportunity to take advantage of Texas’ changing demographics and a relatively unpopular incumbent.

Sarah Brietzke, a retired teacher from nearby La Vernia, said she doesn’t expect Cruz to lose. “I would be surprised,” he said.

“I don’t have anything against that guy,” Scott Smith said of Allred. Still, Smith said he believes Cruz has stronger economic and immigration policies.

Allred has tried to attract moderate voters by running a low-profile campaign focused on reproductive care, a winning issue for Democrats where the 2022 US Supreme Court decision to eliminate federal protections for abortion remains unpopular among most Americans.

On Tuesday night in Houston, Allred repeatedly attacked Cruz for your 2021 trip to Mexico during a deadly winter storm that left millions of people without power. The tour of Texas’ largest city came just days after Allred joined Harris and Beyoncé. at a rally on friday nightthe vice president’s first and only stop in Texas. For most of his career, the former NFL linebacker and civil rights attorney has kept Harris at arm’s length, saying he is focused on his own campaign.

He spoke to a half-full auditorium of about 300 people where he worked to shore up support among black voters, a historically strong voting bloc for Democrats. Allred has not emphasized big rallies in his campaign, which frustrated some Democrats early in his career, although he has increased his travel down the stretch.

“Everything is bigger in Texas except our senator. It’s too small for our state. Their vision for us is too small,” Allred said.

Allred was joined at Tuesday’s rally by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who told the crowd that Allred would continue to fight for student debt relief and for women’s reproductive rights. Allred said he would be a senator for all Texans and would continue his efforts to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans.

Kamerin Joseph, 27, said she will vote for Allred because of the congressman’s support for women’s reproductive rights.

“That’s very important to me,” he said. “I mean, you hear about those stories of women who have to watch their children die and women who have to go through complications.”

Joseph, who works for Protest, Organize, Participate, a Houston-based nonprofit that engages young people in politics, said that after knocking on doors and talking to people, he believes many are aware of the race. by the Senate and the potential for change.

“I really feel like we’re going to turn Texas blue this year. “I really feel that,” Joseph said. “I feel like the average Texan loves Colin Allred. You know, they’re ready for Cruz to go.”

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Lozano reported from Houston. ___

Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.