Ted Cruz says Texas Senate race will be a "$200 million" fight

GOP Senate candidate Ted Cruz declared on Monday that the Texas Senate race will be a $200 million battle, as state Attorney General Ken Paxton squares off against state Rep. James Talarico. "I think we're going to win this race, but it's a real fight," Cruz stated on CBS Mornings. The two candidates have been campaigning since the GOP primary runoff in late May, where Paxton, a conservative attorney general, defeated the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn.

With the race becoming increasingly expensive, despite Republicans' confidence in retaining the seat, Cruz and his super PAC plan to support Paxton. Cruz, who campaigned alongside Paxton, acknowledged the tough primary fight Paxton endured. Talarico, a progressive Christian, faced his own primary challenge but did not proceed to a runoff.

The general election is anticipated to be one of the most costly Senate races, potentially determining control of the Senate. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, but Democrats believe Talarico, a seminarian, could be their winning candidate. Republicans have criticized Talarico over his past comments on issues like veganism and gender, with Cruz describing him as "absolutely extreme."

However, the Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating of the race from likely Republican to leaning Republican, then to a toss-up. Cruz argued that Talarico's record is not well-known and that he would be a strong candidate in California, but not in Texas.