Cruz Defeats Dewhurst, Will Face Sadler in Fall

by Aman Batheja
July 31, 2012
15 Comments

Defying all early expectations and upending long-standing conventional wisdom in Texas Republican politics, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz handily won the Republican runoff for an open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday night.

He moves on to the general election against former state Rep. Paul Sadler, who defeated retired educator Grady Yarbrough in the Democratic runoff.

Cruz defeated Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst after a lengthy, contentious political battle in which Cruz painted a longtime statewide elected official backed by Gov. Rick Perry as a moderate.

“Tonight is a victory for the grass roots,” Cruz said Tuesday night. “It is a ...

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Comments (15)

July 31, 2012 @ 11:47 p.m.

Dolores Morales via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Surprise surprise, in Texas? Lmao!
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August 1, 2012 @ 12:10 a.m.

Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Grass roots? More like Astro Turf.
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August 1, 2012 @ 12:16 a.m.

Christina Jonsson via Texas Tribune on Facebook

It's a disaster for Texas, women, and everybody else. It's going to be a dirtier world on so many levels. Cruzing off a cliff.
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August 1, 2012 @ 12:19 a.m.

Debbie Spencer via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Republican women is a disaster in and of itself.
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August 1, 2012 @ 12:26 a.m.

Ranjana Bhandari via Texas Tribune on Facebook

...and money.
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August 1, 2012 @ 1:58 a.m.

Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

grass roots! what a crock!! it was "Club for Growth" and all those wacko Washington D.C. manipulators of Tea Partiers who just elected a man wanting to raise the deficit by trillions in a futile attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He's like a Batista in league with corporate tax evaders and revolution is just as likely to bring him down, too.
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August 1, 2012 @ 2:56 a.m.

Melissa Cubria via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Wow. I've been overseas and am just now catching wind of this news!!! Scary to think of Cruz in the US Senate...
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August 1, 2012 @ 6:19 a.m.

Sam Davis via Texas Tribune on Facebook

The worst of news for Texas women with Cruz and Devine winning the nomination. Our state's reputation as a breeding ground for nut cases just got bolstered.
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August 1, 2012 @ 6:49 a.m.

Mary Smith Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Will average republicans choose to vote Sadler!? I've never been so worried for Texas.
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August 1, 2012 @ 6:55 a.m.

John Lyon via Texas Tribune on Facebook

And by "face," you of course mean "crush"
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August 1, 2012 @ 7 a.m.

Mary Smith Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Wake up, Texas.
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August 1, 2012 @ 7:38 a.m.

Justin Mihalyi via Texas Tribune on Facebook

more like a victory for stupidity
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August 1, 2012 @ 8:33 a.m.

Scott Nicol via Texas Tribune on Facebook

We'll be damned if we are gonna let Arizona out-crazy us!
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August 1, 2012 @ 9:59 a.m.

Brian Stansbury via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Cruz victory is not about grassroots. It is about DC GOP super PACs trumping the TX GOP establishment. DC GOP knows that Ted Cruz will be a good frontman for their operations, and they crushed the perry machine in his home turf. Grassroots is just a distraction.
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August 1, 2012 @ 12:04 p.m.

Tony Trevino

I actually think Paul Sadler may have a shot at winning in November. The vote for Cruz, I think, was more of a vote against Dewhurst and his cronies than for Cruz. Don't know much about Sadler yet, but I hope he sticks to a few basic issues that put us back on track for education opportunities and cut down on the cronies.