How North Texas has voted in previous Senate elections

With majority control of the United States Senate in play this election, eyes have been glued to the Texas race between incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Colin Allred.

Democrats have seen the race as one they believe they can win despite no Democrat being elected to a statewide office since 1994.

Polling shows the two are neck and neck just days before the election, but how has North Texas voted in previous Senate elections?

Since 2012, Democrats have only reliably won Dallas County. In fact, only once since 2012 has a Democratic candidate won in Tarrant, Denton or Collin County.

In 2020, John Cornyn won reelection to the Senate over Mary Hegar by almost 10 points, 53.51-43.87. 

Hegar managed to collect 61 percent of the vote in Dallas County that year, but Cornyn carried Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties by 5 percent, 15 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Beto O'Rourke won Tarrant County in 2018 by a razor-thin .69 percent. He also won in Dallas County by 33 percent. O'Rouke's 45.5 percent in Denton County and 46.5 percent in Collin County were the best showings by a Democrat since 2012.

He would lose the election that year by less than three percentage points to Ted Cruz.

2014 was the widest margin of victory by a Republican when Cornyn defeated David Alameel with 61.56 percent of the statewide vote. Cornyn won by 40 points in Denton and Collin counties while leading in Tarrant County by 24 points and coming within three points of victory in Dallas County.

The election in 2012 also saw huge wins in Denton and Collin counties for Cruz, who collected 64 percent of the votes and carried the counties by 32 points over Paul Sadler.

Cruz won with 56 percent of the vote in Tarrant County to Sadler's 40 percent. 

Sadler would win Dallas County by 14 points, collecting nearly 56 percent of the votes.

Early voting is underway through Friday for the 2024 general election.

Election day is Tuesday.