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FORT WORTH (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won reelection Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and Democrats’ latest try at ending decades of GOP dominance in the booming state that was thrust this election year to the center of battles over immigration and abortion.

Cruz, 53, secured a third term following another expensive reelection campaign, six years after only narrowly beating Beto O’Rourke. This time around, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race seriously. He tried recasting himself to Texas voters as a get-things-done legislator, far from his reputation as an unapologetic firebrand with national ambitions.

Walking out to the song “Eye of the Tiger,” Cruz addressed his supporters Tuesday night at his watch party in Houston.

“Tonight is an incredible night, a huge victory here in Texas,” Cruz said.

He thanked his wife and his supporters. Cruz also thanked Allred for a hard-fought campaign and pledged to protect the freedoms and values of all Texans, including those who didn’t support him.

Cruz, who emphasized the importance of law and order on the campaign trail, was flanked on stage by a prominent Democratic supporter — Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, the top prosecutor in Texas’ most populous county.

Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas’ first Black senator, carried a moderate banner while mostly keeping both Vice President Kamala Harris and progressive supporters at arm’s length. He touted the endorsements of Republicans — including former Rep. Liz Cheney — and ran as a champion of abortion rights in a state with one of the nation’s strictest bans.

His campaign drew criticism early on from some Democrats who grew restless with Allred’s strategy of not packing his schedule with raucous rallies or investing more in smaller corners of Texas, including cities along Texas’ border with Mexico.

It was the latest failed attempt for Texas Democrats, who haven’t won a statewide race in 30 years, the country’s longest losing streak.

Despite Texas’ reliably red reputation, Democrats had hoped to take advantage of the state’s shifting demographics that include growing Hispanic and Black populations and an influx of residents from other states. Six years ago, Cruz narrowly pulled out a victory over O’Rourke by less than 3 percentage points, a loss that inspired Democrats across Texas.

Four in 10 Texas voters said the economy and jobs is the top issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationally, including more than 4,500 voters in Texas. About 2 in 10 Texas voters said immigration is the most pressing issue, and about 1 in 10 named abortion.

Cruz, who ran for president in 2016, originally came to the Senate after a stint as Texas’ solicitor general. He launched a popular podcast called “Verdict” in 2020 that defended then-President Donald Trump during his impeachment.

Allred was a star high school athlete from Dallas who played linebacker at Baylor University in Waco before a career in the NFL and then as a civil rights attorney. He also had experience defeating a Republican incumbent, having won a U.S. House seat in Dallas in 2018 that was held for more than two decades by GOP U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump won Texas for the third consecutive election on Tuesday, adding 40 electoral votes to his tally. Texas gained two more electoral votes this cycle after the 2020 census. The Republican nominee for president has won Texas for nearly 50 years since Democrat Jimmy Carter carried the state in 1976. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 9:12 p.m. EST.

For races in East Texas, our news partner KETK has an updated list, you can see it here.

In other contests in Texas
FORT WORTH (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has won reelection in Texas to a third term after a campaign in which he criticized his Democratic challenger as too liberal. Cruz defeated U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, who tried to position himself as a moderate in the race. Allred leaned into his support for abortion rights and criticized Texas’ abortion ban, which is one of the strictest in the nation. Democrats haven’t won a statewide race in Texas in 30 years. Cruz hammered Allred on the campaign trail for his positions on immigration and transgender rights.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Julie Johnson won election to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The trial attorney will be the first openly gay member of Congress from Texas. She served three terms as a state lawmaker, where she championed LGTBQ rights at the state Capitol. She has also said that women’s health care would be a priority of hers in Congress and that she would vote to put abortion rights in federal law. She replaces Colin Allred, a Democrat who gave up the seat to run against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. The Associated Press declared Johnson the winner at 11:01 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday, defeating Republican Irene Armendariz-Jackson. Escobar will be serving her third term. The congresswoman was one of the first two Hispanic women to represent Texas in the U.S. House after she succeeded Beto O’Rourke in 2019. Prior to running for office, she served as a county judge for six years. The Associated Press declared Escobar the winner at 11:07 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. De La Cruz, a Latina businesswoman, defended the newly drawn 15th Congressional District that stretches from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley. She faced a rematch this year against her 2022 opponent, Democrat Michelle Vallejo. The Associated Press declared De La Cruz the winner at 11:45 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Troy Nehls won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The former sheriff of Fort Bend County near Houston won his third term in Congress. Nehls was among the lawmakers who helped barricade a door against Jan. 6 rioters at the U.S. Capitol. He has since denied that the riot was an insurrection and has defended rioters who were prosecuted. He attended former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial earlier this year. Nehls serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs committees. The Associated Press declared Nehls the winner at 9:35 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Michael McCaul won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Theresa Boisseau. McCaul is a longtime member of the U.S. House, serving since 2005 and heading into his 11th term. The congressman has gained a reputation as a national security hawk in fierce support of Ukraine, an increasing point of division within the Republican Party. McCaul’s district stretches from the Greater Houston to Austin areas. The Associated Press declared McCaul the winner at 9:37 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Keith Self won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Self, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former county judge, defeated Democrat Sandeep Srivastava to secure a second term in office. Self currently serves on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House. Texas’ 3rd Congressional District is located northeast of Dallas and includes portions of such suburbs as Frisco, Plano and McKinney. The Associated Press declared Self the winner at 9:36 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Arrington was first elected in 2017. He serves parts of the state’s oil-rich Permian Basin. A Texas native, the congressman worked for former President George W. Bush and was vice chancellor at Texas Tech University before his election. Arrington is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. The Associated Press declared Arrington the winner at 9:21 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The graduate of West Point and veteran of combat deployment to Iraq won his second term in Congress. He has been an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and has appeared at campaign rallies to build support for Trump among Black voters, including in areas typically dominated by Democrats. The Associated Press declared Hunt the winner at 9:34 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Randy Weber won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday, defeating Rhonda Hart. Weber was first elected to the U.S. House in 2013, succeeding Ron Paul after spending four years as a state representative. The congressman was kicked out of the House Freedom Caucus earlier this year after disagreeing with some of its tactics. Weber’s district encompasses the northern Houston suburbs and Galveston. The Associated Press declared Weber the winner at 9:32 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Craig Goldman won election to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday, holding the seat for the GOP. Goldman previously served in the Texas Legislature, assuming office in 2013. He defeated Democrat Trey Hunt and will replace Rep. Kay Granger, who decided not to seek reelection. The longtime state representative voted to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year and faced competition from a Paxton-backed candidate in the primary. Goldman campaigned on a pro-business conservative platform to appeal to Fort Worth-area voters in his district. The Associated Press declared Goldman the winner at 8:49 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Pat Fallon won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Fallon, a businessman from Frisco, defeated Democrat Simon Cardell to secure a third term in office. Texas’ 4th Congressional District stretches from the suburbs north and east of Dallas north to the Red River boundary with Texas and east to the Arkansas state line. Fallon advanced to the general election after defeating his GOP opponent in the March primary election by more than 60 percentage points. The Associated Press declared Fallon the winner at 8:43 p.m. EST.

AUSTIN (AP) — Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro won reelection to the U.S. House in Texas’ 20th Congressional District. The San Antonio congressman will serve his seventh term in Congress after first being elected in 2012. Castro served as a representative in the Texas statehouse for 10 years before running for federal office. He is a Stanford University and Harvard Law School graduate. He also has been a vocal advocate for Latino representation in film and media.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Lizzie Fletcher won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. She defeated Republican Caroline Kane of Cypress to secure a third term in office. An attorney from Houston, Fletcher said she was inspired to run for Congress after Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. She is the first woman and first Democrat in 50 years to represent the 7th Congressional District, which includes the Greater Houston area in Harris County and a northern section of suburban Fort Bend County. The Associated Press declared Fletcher the winner at 8:37 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Sylvester Turner wins election to U.S. House in Texas’ 18th Congressional District.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Crenshaw defeated Democrat Peter Filler, a teacher from Houston, to secure a fourth term representing a district that spans the suburbs north and east of Houston. The former Navy SEAL lost his right eye when he was hit with an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012. Crenshaw easily won reelection in 2022, defeating his Democratic challenger by more than 30 percentage points. The Associated Press declared Crenshaw the winner at 8:31 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Greg Casar won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The 35-year-old is the youngest member of the Texas delegation as he heads into his second term representing his Austin-based district. Casar has announced he will seek the chairmanship of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which has nearly 100 members. He has called for ending unconditional military aid for Israel in its war with Hamas and supported pro-Palestinian demonstrators last spring at the University of Texas. The Associated Press declared Casar the winner at 8:28 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The 78-year-old Doggett has been in Congress since 1989. He was the first Democrat in Congress to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the campaign after the president’s poor debate performance. But Doggett did not immediately rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. He instead called for an open convention to consider other candidates. He later threw his support behind Harris. The Associated Press declared Doggett the winner at 8:24 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Beth Van Duyne won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. The former mayor of the Dallas suburb of Irving won her third term in Congress. The hard-charging conservative has been a fierce critic of the Biden administration over immigration. Earlier this year she took out a newspaper ad urging police officers in New York to move to Texas. And she joined state Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2022 in suing the federal government to end pandemic mask mandates for airline travelers. The Associated Press declared Van Duyne the winner at 8:15 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Veasey has served the Dallas-Fort Worth-area district since 2014. He was the second Texan and the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to openly call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the campaign, setting the stage for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee. Veasey serves on the House Energy and Commerce and Armed Services committees. The Associated Press declared Veasey the winner at 8:12 p.m. EST.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Jackson, who ran unopposed for the 13th Congressional District seat, is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and served as his White House physician. In July, he wrote the report on the former president’s health after he survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It will be his third term in Congress.

AUSTIN (AP) — Democratic Rep. Al Green has won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas’ 9th Congressional District. Green ran unopposed. He has spent nearly two decades in the U.S. House, first capturing the Houston-area district in 2004. The longtime congressman became known for his repeated attempts to impeach former President Donald Trump. Green was hospitalized earlier this year and, despite recovering from abdominal surgery, made a crucial vote to block the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Texas on Tuesday. Moran did not draw an opponent in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat, which includes all or part of 17 counties in far east Texas. An attorney, Moran previously served as county judge in Smith County and was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022. The seat was previously held by Republican Louie Gohmert, who launched an unsuccessful bid for Texas attorney general in 2022.

(AP) — While electing officials to make and enforce laws, voters in dozens of states are also deciding on more than 140 ballot proposals affecting the way people legally live, work and die.

As 10 states consider measures related to abortion or reproductive rights on Tuesday’s ballots, about a half-dozen states are weighing the legalization of marijuana for either recreational or medical use. About two dozen measures are focused on future elections, including several specifically barring noncitizens voting. Other state measures affect wages, taxes, housing and education.

Many of the ballot measures were initiated by citizen petitions that sidestep state legislatures, though others were placed before voters by lawmakers.
Marijuana legalization

Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota are deciding whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. The election marks the third vote on the issue in both North Dakota and South Dakota. In Nebraska, voters are considering a pair of measures that would legalize medical marijuana and regulate the industry.

About half the states currently allow recreational marijuana and about a dozen more allow medical marijuana. Possessing or selling marijuana remains a crime under federal law, punishable by prison time and fines.

In Massachusetts, a ballot measure would legalize the possession and supervised use of natural psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms. It would be the third state to do so, following Oregon and Colorado.

Immigration
An Arizona measure crafted amid a surge in immigration would make it a state crime to enter from a foreign country except through official ports of entry, and for someone already in the U.S. illegally to apply for public benefits using false documents.

The border crossing measure is similar to a challenged Texas law that the U.S. Justice Department says violates federal authority.

School choice
A proposed amendment to the Kentucky Constitution would allow lawmakers to use state funds for private schools. A Colorado measure would create a constitutional right to school choice for K-12 students.

In Nebraska, voters are deciding whether to repeal a new state law that funds private school tuition with state dollars.

A majority of states offers some sort of state-backed program to help cover private school costs.

Sports betting
Missouri voters are deciding whether to become the latest to legalize sports betting. A total of 38 states and Washington, D.C., already allow sports betting, which has expanded rapidly since the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for it in 2018.

Taxes
A Colorado proposal would make it the second state after California to impose a sales tax on firearms and ammunition, with revenue going primarily to crime victims’ services. The federal government already taxes sales of guns and ammunition.

North Dakota voters are considering a measure to eliminate property taxes. If approved, local governments could need more than $3 billion biennially in replacement revenue from the state.

A South Dakota measure would repeal the state’s sales tax on groceries, a move already taken in most other states.

An Oregon measure would raise the minimum tax on large corporations to fund a tax rebate for residents.

Housing
California voters are deciding whether to repeal a 1995 law limiting local rent control ordinances. If approved, it would open the way for local governments to expand limitations on the rates that landlords could charge.

A unique proposal in Arizona links property taxes with responses to homelessness. It would let property owners seek property tax refunds if they incur expenses because a local government declined to enforce ordinances against illegal camping, loitering, panhandling, public alcohol and drug use, and other things.

Climate
Voters in Washington state are considering whether to repeal a 2021 law that caps carbon emissions and creates a market for businesses exceeding the mark to purchase allowances from others. Washington was the second state to launch such a program, after California.

Citizen voting
Republican-led legislatures in eight states — Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin — have proposed state constitutional amendments declaring that only citizens can vote.

A 1996 U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and many states already have similar laws. But Republicans have emphasized the potential of noncitizens voting after an influx of immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border. Though noncitizen voting historically has been rare, voter roll reviews before the election flagged potential noncitizens registered in several states.

Some municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont and Washington, D.C., allow noncitizens to vote in certain local elections.

Voting methods
Connecticut voters are considering whether to authorize no-excuse absentee voting, joining most states that already allow it.

Measures in Montana and South Dakota would create open primary elections in which candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot, with a certain number advancing to the general election. Measures in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada also propose open primaries featuring candidates from all parties, with a certain number advancing to a general election using ranked choice voting. An Oregon measure would required ranked choice voting in both primaries and general elections.

Ranked choice voting is currently used in Alaska and Maine. But Alaska voters are considering whether to repeal provisions of a 2020 initiative that instituted open primaries and ranked choice
general elections.

Arizona voters are deciding between competing ballot proposals that would require either open primaries with candidates of all parties or the state’s current method of partisan primaries. If conflicting measures both pass, the provision receiving the most votes takes effect, but that could be up to a court to decide.

Redistricting

An Ohio initiative would create a citizens commission to handle redistricting for U.S. House and state legislative seats, taking the task away from elected officials.

Minimum wage
Ballot measures in Missouri and Alaska would gradually raise minimum wages to $15 an hour while also requiring paid sick leave. A California measure would incrementally raise the minimum wage for all employers to $18 an hour.

A Nebraska measure would require many employers to provide sick leave but would not change wages.

A Massachusetts measure would gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the rate for other employees. By contrast, an Arizona measure would let tipped workers be paid 25% less than the minimum wage, so long as tips push their total pay beyond the minimum wage threshold.

Assisted suicide
West Virginia voters are deciding whether to amend the state constitution to prohibit medically assisted suicide. The measure would run counter to 10 states and Washington, D.C., where physician-assisted suicide is allowed.

DALLAS (AP) — A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” are on the auction block nearly two decades after a thief stole the iconic shoes, convinced they were adorned with real jewels.

Online bidding has started and will continue through Dec. 7, Heritage Auctions in Dallas announced in a news release Monday.

The auction company received the sequin-and-bead-bedazzled slippers from Michael Shaw, the memorabilia collector who originally owned the footwear at the heart of the beloved 1939 musical. Shaw had loaned the shoes in 2005 to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

That summer, someone smashed through a display case and stole the slippers. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

Now the museum is among those vying for the slippers, which were one of several pairs Garland wore during the filming. Only four remain.

Grand Rapids raised money for the slippers at its annual Judy Garland festival. The funds will supplement the $100,000 set aside this year by Minnesota lawmakers to purchase the slippers.

The man who stole the slippers, Terry Jon Martin, was 76 when he was sentenced in January to time served because of his poor health. He admitting to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case in what his attorney said was an attempt to pull off “one last score” after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value.

The auction of movie memorabilia includes other items from “The Wizard of Oz,” such as a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West and the screen door from Dorothy’s Kansas home.

AUSTIN – KUT reports that the Texas Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Travis County Republican Party alleging there were not enough Republican election workers at polling sites. The Texas Elections Code requires the county to ensure election workers at each polling location represent both major political parties – Democrat and Republican – to the best of its ability. The Travis GOP sued the Travis County Elections Division last week, naming Dyana Limon-Mercado in her role as the county clerk and election administrator. The Third Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit, and the Travis GOP appealed to the Texas Supreme Court.

On Monday, Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock along with two other justices ruled there was not enough information to substantiate the GOP’s claims, especially just hours before Election Day. “The evidentiary record it has provided to this Court lacks the degree of clarity and specificity that would allow this Court to know with certainty what exactly has transpired and what practical effect this kind of last-minute judicial intervention would have for election day in Travis County,” the ruling states. In the meantime, the county was ordered to comply with the Election Code to the greatest extent possible. At a press conference Monday morning, Limon-Mercado said the county has assigned teams of bipartisan workers across the 176 polling sites on Election Day. “We have great teams of bipartisan election workers,” she said. “Not only at the poll sites, but here in our office, at our central count process, ensuring the integrity of our election and that all election laws are followed.”

AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the U.S. Department of Justice for its plans to send election monitors on Tuesday to eight Texas counties, including Dallas, as voters are casting ballots. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court and announced by Paxton Monday evening, alleges that the election monitors are “unlawful” since state law governs election administration and does not grant authority to federal officials to be present inside a polling place or central counting location. Paxton is asking for a temporary restraining order to block the monitors from entering polling or counting locations and a permanent injunction on federal election monitoring in Texas. The legal motion was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division, a federal trial court where a slew of conservative plaintiffs have filed lawsuits before the single sitting judge, an appointee of former President Donald Trump.

The Justice Department on Friday announced its plan to send election monitors to 86 jurisdictions across 27 states on Election Day. The department regularly visits precincts during elections to ensure compliance with federal election law, but the number of sites on the list has nearly doubled since 2020. The eight Texas counties expected to be visited by federal monitors were Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto and Waller. Texas state law lists 15 categories of people who are allowed inside polling locations, including voters and minors accompanied by voters, state and local election officials, and poll watchers who have completed state mandated training. Paxton’s lawsuit references the approved list and points out that the federal election monitors do not fit any of these criteria. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday evening. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting, allowed federal officials to observe polling places and sites where ballots are counted. But the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling that struck down provisions of the law made it so that the Justice Department needed a court order or cooperation from state and local officials to enter polling sites, according to reporting by The Washington Post.