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Texas Elections 2018

Photos: Beto O'Rourke or Ted Cruz? Texas voters explain their midterm votes

From abortion to immigration, here are some of the issues Texas voters said mattered most to them in the U.S. Senate race.

by Amanda Zamora

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Texas Elections 2018

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz defeated Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke in the race for U.S. Senate. View full 2018 Texas election results or subscribe to The Brief for the latest election news.

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With all eyes on the U.S. Senate race between Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke, Texas Tribune photographers fanned out across the state to find out who voters were choosing in this key race and why. Here's what a few Texans had to say about their 2018 midterm election votes.

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Tony Rodriguez, 58, voted for O’Rourke. “Naturally, [Beto’s] from El Paso, so usually El Pasoans stick together,” Rodriguez said. “I travel all over the U.S. and I see how divided the country has gotten ... I feel more that Beto can get Texas united."
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Ketchum Ivory, 62, said it felt good to get his vote “over with” today — he says he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and “thinks” he voted for Ted Cruz in this year’s race for U.S. Senate.
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Antonio Alanis, 19, says he “voted for Beto because I'm Hispanic, because they are holding kids hostage at the border. Immigration is the most important issue for me."
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Shafaq Shahami, 39, voted for Republicans in the 2018 midterms. “It’s my duty to vote here, using my rights to make a difference,” Shahami said.
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Charles Reliford Sr., 74, said (with a laugh): "I'm voting all Democrat, because I'm just a Democrat."
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Diane Harris, 68, says she voted for Libertarian Neal Dikeman in the race for U.S. Senate. “The biggest issue is the rights of people, plus keeping us safe,” Harris said
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Carlos, 39, who declined to give his last name, voted O’Rourke. “People keep talking about the migrant caravan,” he said. “People here are worried about them coming to take away their jobs, but how many people want to work for just a few dollars an hour?”
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Karen Holland, 60, and daughter Elizabeth Ferreira, 31, both voted for Ted Cruz. “I have a problem with open borders,” Holland said. “I want somebody who believes in the laws that we have and wants them enforced.”

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Amanda Zamora’s staff photo

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