Texas midterms 2018: Beto O’Rourke in statistical dead heat with Ted Cruz for Senate seat, show latest polls

The Democrat is gaining momentum in the final stretch of the 2018 midterm elections

Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) campaigns in Houston, Texas U.S. November 11, 2017. (Reuters)

Beto O’Rourke has gained momentum in Texas' senatorial elections, as the latest polls show his shot at unseating Ted Cruz seemed more obtainable than ever.

The El Paso Democrat is in a statistical dead heat with the Republican incumbent in an Emerson College e-poll published Monday. Mr Cruz, who once appeared to have a near-guaranteed re-election in the reliably red state, now leads Mr O’Rourke by just one per cent, with 38 per cent of the vote to the Democrat’s 37 per cent.

The closely-watched race has been all but won: 21 per cent of respondents to the poll remain undecided, as analysts have said independent and swing voters could determine the fate of the Texas Senate seat.

The latest poll placed Mr O’Rourke’s campaign in its most favourable position so far compared to that of Mr Cruz, who has aligned himself with Donald Trump and ran his re-election campaign on a conservative platform.

The lesser-known Democratic candidate secured the nominee after a successful fundraising effort in his hometown of El Paso helped push him to victory. Mr O’Rourke has since become somewhat of a national phenomenon, vowing to compromise with Republicans and speaking out about the historical importance behind peaceful protests in America, including the NFL demonstrations involving athletes kneeling during the US national anthem.

Meanwhile, Mr Cruz has railed against his opponent and the Democratic Party, claiming Mr O’Rourke is “raising big” money from Hollywood and suggesting the candidate is out-of-touch with local voters. The Texas senator has used a viral video of Mr O’Rourke discussing the national anthem protests in his latest campaign advertisements.

But the Democrat isn't letting Mr Cruz’s attacks bring down his campaign. In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mr O’Rourke said he was staying focused on the race rather than the senator’s criticisms.

“I don’t pay attention to what Senator Cruz is doing or not doing because I don’t feel like I’m running against him,” he said. “I’m running for this country. For everyone in the state of Texas.”

While Mr Cruz once appeared to have an easy bid for re-election in Texas, his Democratic opponent continued climbing in the polls in recent weeks and now poses a true threat to the incumbent senator.

Mr O’Rourke was four per cent behind Mr Cruz just last week, according to an NBC News/Marist poll, which placed him at 45 per cent to the senator’s 49 per cent.

He’s also campaigned in all 254 counties across the state, frequently hosting town halls and drawing national attention. While Mr Cruz’s candidacy is favoured by the eldest generations – the senator is most popular with voters 75 and older – Mr O’Rourke is a favourite among the youngest generations of Texans, leading his opponent by over 20 per cent among voters between the ages of 18 and 34.