Highlights: Ted Cruz, Collin Allred face off in only debate for Texas U.S. Senate seat

DALLAS - Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Colin Allred faced off ahead of the vote for one of the biggest races in Texas this year.

The Republican senator and the Democratic congressman on Tuesday sparred on a range of topics affecting Texans in their first and only debate.

Allred is looking to unseat Cruz, who is running for his third term in the U.S. Senate.

Cruz worked to tie Allred to the Biden administration, while Allred worked to paint Cruz as someone who is only out for himself.

There were some lively moments in the debate, and polls show it’s a close one. 

This was the first and only time Allred and Cruz will debate before Texans start early voting next Monday. 

On Abortion

In the latest poll, abortion was the fourth most important issue to voters. 

Allred continued to press Cruz on if he is for exceptions to rape, incest and the life of the mother. 

Cruz pivoted and claimed Allred is for late-term abortions, in his words, in the eighth and ninth month. 

CRUZ: "He has voted in favor of striking down Texas law that gives parents the right to be notified and consent. He's voted in favor of striking down Texas law and legalizing abortion up to and including the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy. That's extreme, and it's not where the people of Texas are."

ALLRED: "Senator Cruz is looking to a camera and lie to Texans about my position. Let's be very clear. You should look into the camera and speak to Kate Cox, who's watching right now, and explain to her why you said that this law that you said is perfectly reasonable. Why she was forced to leave her two children behind and flee our state to get the care that she needed."

MODERATOR: "Senator you did not directly answer the question. I want to ask you again. Do you support exceptions for rape or incest?"

CRUZ: "I want to be very clear. If you listen to Congressman Allred's answer, at no point did he make any reference to his own record."

On The Border

The border is an important issue to voters nationwide in this election, but it’s a topic that is even more focused on here in Texas. 

Allred continued to hit on Cruz for voting down a bipartisan border bill that would have brought more resources to border agents and judges.

Cruz said Allred has just started focusing on the border now that he is running for Senate. 

Cruz also used a line he’s been saying on the campaign trail about Allred calling the border wall racist years ago. 

ALLRED: "The $20 billion for 1,000 new border patrol agents. For 100 new immigration judges. For 4,000 asylum personnel to help us have technology to catch fentanyl coming across the border. Why did you not support that, senator?"

CRUZ: I tell you what he also said just a couple of years ago. He said, ‘I don't hear much about the border here in Dallas. It's not a top-of-mind issue.’ And I got to say, I represented Dallas in the whole state for 12 years. I hear about it everywhere I go. I hear about it in Dallas."

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On The Economy

In a University of Houston poll released Tuesday morning, the economy was the top priority for Texas voters. 

Allred talked about growing up with a single mother and was pressed on defending inflation growing while a Democrat was president. 

Allred said Cruz is not working to lower healthcare costs for Texans.             

CRUZ: "If you're a senior on fixed income, you're finding it harder and harder to pay your bills. If you're a working couple just buying your first home, you're discovering a 7% mortgage is very different than a 2.5%. If you're trying to fill your tank with gas or you're a single mom worried about getting braces for your daughter, the inflation caused by Kamala Harris and Collin Allred spending binge is hurting Texans across the board."

ALLRED: "We thought it was a good idea to cap the cost of insulin for folks on Medicare at $35 a month. I voted for it. Senator Cruz apparently disagreed. We tried to cap it for everyone because 1 in 4 Americans are rationing their insulin. Rationing your insulin means that you're not taking the medication you need to survive. And so we said, ‘Let's make sure that this is affordable.’ I was willing to do and voted for it. Senator Cruz vote against it."

On The January 6 Capitol Riot

Democracy and January 6 was another topic Tuesday night. The UH poll said that was the third most important issue for Texas voters. 

CRUZ: "I think anyone who commits an act of violence should be prosecuted and should go to jail. If you assault a police officer, you should go to jail for a very long time. And by the way, that’s true whether I happen to agree with your politics or disagree with your politics. I’ve spent 12 years fighting to defend the men and women in law enforcement."

ALLRED: "You can’t be for the mob on January 6 and be for the officers. You can’t, and it’s not funny. Because you are a threat to democracy.  I was on the House floor when we went through the votes. I remember when you objected to the results in Arizona. Y'all at home might remember where you were on January sixth, what you were doing. I know where I was, and I know where he was. I remember when they told us to reach under our seats for these gas masks I didn't know we had. Because they deployed teargas in the rotunda."

Gender politics is something Cruz has blanketed the air with in multiple ads. 

Cruz says Allred is for boys in girls’ sports, and Allred said that’s not true. Allred called it a Hail Mary distraction. 

Early voting starts on Monday.