Cruz Bests Dewhurst in Republican Senate Runoff

The Associated Press has called the U.S. Senate Republican runoff for former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz over Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.

Cruz will go on to meet Democrat Paul Sadler this November in the contest for the Senate seat.

It’s a reversal of fortune for Dewhurst, who lead on the night of the general election.

As KUT News’ Ben Philpott  writes for NPR:

Early this year, the race was expected to be a coronation for Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, 66. He's run the state Senate for the last decade, has a vast personal fortune to spend on the race and was the favorite of just about every establishment Republican in the state. …

Dewhurst outpolled Cruz, 45 percent to 34 percent, but failed to top 50 percent. And that forced Tuesday's runoff. GOP strategist Ted Delisi says moving the primary date changed the race.

"I think that there was always a potential for a competitive race," he says. "But it has become very competitive. And the reason for that is, that the non-Dewhurst candidates, and in this case Ted Cruz, have had the time to make their case." Time for Cruz to meet more voters and time to build his name recognition across the gigantic state.