Ted Cruz is betting on oil and gas in the fight to retain his Senate seat

HOUSTON – The race to determine whether Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will continue to represent Texas is tight, with oil and gas at the center of the senator's latest push against his Democratic challenger.

Rep. Colin Allred's rising poll numbers are drawing the attention of national observers as Texas has not elected a statewide Democrat since 1994. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, was in Houston last week – but it remains to be seen whether her visit will help Allred pull off a surprise.

As the Senate race nears the finish line, Cruz is working to connect Allred with national Democrats, with a particular focus on energy. High prices, Cruz said in a recent debate, “are the result of Congressmen Allred and Kamala Harris' war on Texas oil and gas.”

As U.S. oil and gas production reached record highs during the Biden administration, some in the industry pointed to Harris' 2019 call for a fracking ban. Harris has since walked back those comments, saying the country can continue to support clean energy without stopping widespread drilling.