The 2024 election is the year of the “Vibes” candidates, and I’m not just talking about the presidential election and Vice President Kamala Harris.

This is also the case in the race for the US Senate in Texas.

The election in Texas or America is characterized by a warm, comfortable and hopeful mood, but the outcome could have damaging consequences for Texans and Americans.

In Texas it’s Ted Cruz versus Colin Allred

Texas is a solidly red state, despite persistent claims that it could one day turn purple or even blue. Republicans in Texas control the governorship, both houses of the legislature, the judiciary, and every statewide elected office from attorney general to railroad commissioner. They also hold both Senate offices and 25 of the 37 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

So if a purple haze appears on the Texas horizon, it will initially appear deep red.

However, to the surprise of Republicans in Texas, a recent poll showed that Democratic Rep. Colin Allred managed to reduce incumbent Senator Ted Cruz’s lead to just four points.

Allred, a former NFL linebacker, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 to represent the Dallas area.

I interviewed Allred earlier this year when I was on the editorial board of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He seems warm, pleasant and moderate. Very moderate. Major newspapers in Texas have recommended Allred, including The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, The San Antonio Express-News and The Star-Telegram.

Unlike most Democrats in Congress, Allred has touted his bipartisan approach and moderate views during his tenure in the House. To win in Texas, he must show voters that he is not in lockstep with the progressive wing of his party.

Allred stands in stark contrast to Cruz, who is considered staunchly conservative and is often portrayed that way in the Texas and national media.

Allred’s record is terrible for the Texans

Allred has been called the most bipartisan member of Texas’ congressional delegation by the Common Ground Committee, but he is no moderate. A closer look at Allred’s record shows that he is actually a typical liberal who spends big.

Like many Democrats, Allred has no problem voting for measures that increase government spending and raise taxes. He voted for the Inflation Control Act, whose long-term cost is estimated at between $800 and $1.2 trillion. He also voted for the $2 trillion Build Back Better Act, which passed the House but failed in the Senate.

Who won the debate? I don’t know if Harris or Trump won the debate. But it was the American people who lost.

Likewise, Allred supported HR 133, which allocated $2.3 trillion in earmarked spending and COVID-19-related subsidies. The congressman also agreed to several measures that suspended or increased the debt ceiling.

Cruz, for his part, has voted for policies that include tax cuts and securing military contracts for Texas-based companies.

The senator spearheaded infrastructure and transportation reform for border bridges in Texas. He negotiated the possibility of supplying liquefied natural gas produced in Texas to Asia.

Cruz also supports school choice, calling it “the civil rights issue of our time,” an issue that the majority of Texans support. As a mother of four, school choice is a big issue for me.

US Chamber of Commerce supports Cruz

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Cruz this year. It does not endorse candidates in every race and endorsed Allred in his 2020 and 2022 House races.

In a phone interview, Neil Bradley, vice chairman and policy director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told me their support was based on Cruz’s work as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

“First, Cruz has been a real fighter against some pretty dramatic regulatory excesses,” Bradley said. “Second, he’s been willing to really go to the trouble of getting important things passed on a bipartisan basis that are often not easy. You could point to the FAA bill, for example, which we supported and he really deserves credit for getting passed.”

Ken Paxton took on Facebook – and won: A passionate politician from Texas has launched a legal attack on Google and Meta. And he is successful.

Bradley also mentioned Cruz’s commitment to protecting cross-border trade with Mexico, a key economic driver that has encountered “real problems” in recent years.

“These are all areas where he has already proven that he is a true champion,” Bradley said.

He also said the chamber is supporting Cruz because of two new challenges: the expiration of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and artificial intelligence.

Senate election in Texas mirrors presidential election

Allred is a talented politician who seems like a nice guy. He increased Cruz’s lead by capitalizing on Harris’s surge in the presidential race.

He also positions himself as a moderate politician, but like Harris, his views seem insincere. His record shows that he is too far to the left – at least for Texas.

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Texas has one of the strongest economies in the world, and the energy industry – which Cruz has consistently supported – is its largest industry. People flock to Texas because of the state’s economy, lower cost of living and better quality of life.

Although Cruz has a reputation as one of the “most hated” politicians in Washington, he consistently advocates for policies that help Texans. That is the most important part of his job. That should be the focus of the election campaign.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox..

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Cruz lose? The Senate race in Texas is close. It should not