GEORGETOWN, Texas — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) launched his “Keep Texas, Texas” tour in Georgetown on Friday, emphasizing that he won’t let anyone, "California his Texas."
“Everyone that wants to turn Texas into California, look at this room and realize you cannot have the great state of Texas!” Cruz said.
Cruz said his main concerns as a senator include prioritizing jobs and the cost of living, as well as securing the Texas-Mexico border.
After being loudly welcomed onstage by supporters at Mesquite Creek Outfitters in Georgetown, Cruz began his speech by saying that America is in a crisis because of inflation, the drug epidemic, national security policies and the border crisis.
“We’re having crime in every city in America because of Kamala Harris’ open borders,” Cruz said.
Cruz promised his voters that if he is elected and a new administration is in Washington, they will secure the border. He also acknowledged the massive influx of people moving into Texas from largely big Democratic states and promised he wouldn't let that "change the Texas he and his supporters know and love."
"We want to keep jobs in the state of Texas, we want to keep safety and security in the state of Texas, we want low taxes in the state of Texas, we want low regulation in the state of Texas. We stand with the men and women of law enforcement in the state of Texas," Cruz said.
Cruz was asked about the tragic school shooting in Uvalde and how he would make Uvalde families comfortable voting for a Republican, given their strong stance on gun laws.
He responded saying he's spent the last 12 years trying to protect children and make schools safer by repeatedly introducing legislation that would go after criminals who buy guns illegally, but every time he's done so, Cruz said Democrats have "cynically" blocked it.
"Instead, they try to use it as an excuse to disarm law biding Americans and that doesn't work," Cruz said. "That doesn't keep people safe. But it's their political agenda, and I'm going to keep fighting to keep our kids safe."
Cruz also went after his Democratic opponent U.S. Rep. Colin Allred’s time in Congress, saying his votes "haven’t been in line with what Texas voters want."
“I think the elections are about records, my record vs. Colin Allred’s record,” Cruz said. “His record is extreme liberal. His first four years in the House, he voted 100% with Nancy Pelosi. That’s not where the people of Texas are.”
Cruz criticized Allred’s “basement” campaign style, which he says is the same as Kamala Harris'. He claimed both Allred and Harris don’t do interviews or events because they can’t defend their records.
“He's voted repeatedly for open borders over and over and over again, that's not where the people of Texas are,” Cruz said. “He's voted for defunding the police. That's not where the people of Texas are … So we're going to focus on my record and his record, and we're going to focus on my vision for Texas, and his vision for Texas.”
Meanwhile, Allred was one of the speakers on the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, giving full support to Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.
Cruz also made stops Friday in Waco and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He plans to visit Tyler and Beaumont and end the campaign tour in Houston on Saturday.