FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won re-election on Tuesday, defeating the latest attempt by Democrats and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred to end decades of GOP dominance in the booming state that has become the focus of contention this election year immigration And abortion.

Cruz, 53, secured a third term just six years later after another expensive re-election campaign narrowly against Beto O'Rourke. This time, Cruz implored Republicans to take his race seriously. He tried to present himself to Texas voters as an ambitious lawmaker, a far cry from his reputation as an uncompromising firebrand with national ambitions.

Walking out to the song “Eye of the Tiger,” Cruz addressed his supporters at his watch party in Houston on Tuesday night.

“Tonight is an incredible night, a big win here in Texas,” Cruz said.

He thanked his wife and his supporters. Cruz also thanked Allred for a hard-fought campaign and pledged to protect the freedoms and values ​​of all Texans, including those who did not support him.

Cruz, who stressed the importance of law and order on the campaign trail, was flanked on stage by a prominent Democratic supporter – Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, the top prosecutor in Texas' most populous county.

Allred, a former NFL linebacker who would have been Texas' first black senator, carried a moderate banner while largely keeping both Vice President Kamala Harris and progressive supporters at arm's length. He praised the support of Republicans – including former Rep. Liz Cheney – and ran as a champion of abortion rights in a state with one of the strictest bans in the country.

His campaign faced early criticism from some Democrats who grew restless over Allred's strategy of not filling his schedule with loud rallies or investing more in smaller parts of Texas, including cities along Texas's border with Mexico.

It was the latest failed attempt by Texas Democrats, who haven't won a statewide race in 30 years, the longest losing streak in the country.

Despite Texas' reliably red reputation, Democrats had hoped to capitalize on the state's changing demographics, which include a growing Hispanic and black population and an influx of residents from other states. Six years ago, Cruz narrowly won over O'Rourke by less than 3 percentage points, a loss that inspired Democrats across Texas.

Four in 10 Texas voters said the economy and jobs were the country's biggest problem, according to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of more than 110,000 voters across the country, including more than 4,500 voters in Texas. About two in 10 Texas voters said immigration was the most pressing issue, and about one in 10 cited abortion.

Cruz, who ran for president in 2016, originally came to the Senate after a stint as Texas attorney general. In 2020, he launched a popular podcast called “Verdict” in which he defended then-President Donald Trump during his impeachment.

Allred was a star high school athlete from Dallas who played linebacker at Baylor University in Waco before a career in the NFL and then a career as a civil rights attorney. He also had experience defeating a Republican incumbent, having won a U.S. House seat in Dallas in 2018 that was held for more than two decades by Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions.