Ted Cruz defeats Democrat Beto O'Rourke in Texas Senate race

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defeated Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D) in the Texas Senate race, NBC News reports. With 21 percent reporting, The New York Times had Cruz up 50.7 percent to O'Rourke's 48.7 percent.

Cruz's victory, while anticipated, marked a huge loss for Democrats, who had hoped to turn the Texas Senate seat blue after more than 30 years of Republican control. O'Rourke, a progressive ex-rocker and El Paso-area congressman, raised a stunning $38 million in the last quarter before the election, and the fact that the Lone Star state race was competitive at all made it one of the most interesting narratives of the 2018 midterms.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.