Beto O'Rourke and Ted Cruz release their final ads before Election Day, featuring Texas, Willie, and Texas
With the race between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his challenger, Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas), appearing to tighten in the home stretch, both Cruz and O'Rourke hit the road on the final weekend before Election Day. In early voting, which ended Friday, nearly 40 percent of voters cast ballots in the 30 counties where 78 percent of Texas registered voters live, less than the 45 percent who voted early in 2016 but a larger percentage than in 2014 (19 percent) — a total of 34 percent of Texans voted in 2014 — and 2012.
O'Rourke released his closing campaign ad Sunday night, emphasizing that he has driven to all 254 Texas counties and, incidentally, shared a stage with Willie Nelson, whose "On the Road Again" provides the soundtrack for the ad. As with all O'Rourke ads, it is upbeat and talks a lot about Texas.
The Cruz campaign released a video Sunday featuring a group of young or ethnically diverse people talking about how they are no longer Democrats and now back Cruz, but his final ad touches on school vouchers, border security, tax cuts, and Texas.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It's not clear O'Rourke's novel road-trip model through every county in Texas will be enough to offset Cruz's advantage in rural areas — Politico's Tim Alberta is already explaining why O'Rourke failed to unseat Cruz. But as actor Sonny Carl Davis ("Come on, Ted") notes in this ad from an anti-Cruz PAC, Cruz visited all 99 counties in Iowa, and that was enough for him to win the 2016 Iowa causes. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How Norway became an electric vehicle pioneer
Under The Radar Early adoption, incentives and political consistency have helped Scandinavian nation race ahead
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Robot E.R.
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
What are the long-term effects of alcohol?
It's not just cancer
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
DOJ to release half of Trump special counsel report
Speed Read The portion regarding Trump's retention of classified documents will not be publicly released
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Jimmy Carter lies in state as 3-day DC farewell begins
Speed Read The 39th president died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giuliani held in contempt of court over forfeit assets
Speed Read He has failed to turn over $11 million in assets to two Georgia election workers he defamed after the 2020 election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden resettles 11 more Guantánamo detainees
Speed Read In an effort to reduce the number of prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay, Biden transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Trudeau announces resignation
Speed Read Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down after nearly a decade in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden signs boost to Social Security for public workers
Speed Read The president signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, expanding retirement benefits for millions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chief justice warns against defying Supreme Court
Speed Read Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts noted that public officials keep threatening to ignore lawful court rulings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Orleans truck attack linked to ISIS kills 15
Speed Read A pickup truck drove into a crowd on New Year's Day in the French Quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published