Texas Tribune by Patrick Svitek Sept. 8, 2018
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, campaigned Saturday in battleground Harris County, holding their first rallies in Texas since the traditional political turning point of Labor Day.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke kicked off their post-Labor Day campaigns Saturday in Harris County, rallying supporters for the two-month home stretch of their race in the state’s biggest battleground county.
Cruz made two boisterous stops in the Republican-friendly suburbs of Houston, while O’Rourke, an El Paso congressman, staged a massive rally in the city. The events were the first in Texas by Cruz and O’Rourke since Labor Day, the traditional ramp-up time ahead of the November elections.
“Whatever you’re doing do, please do more of it,†O’Rourke told supporters packed in to the Houston Stampede Event Center, a 12-mile drive from where Cruz first campaigned Saturday in the area. “Not a single one of us wants to wake up with anything other than a hangover from celebrating a victory on the 7th of November."
Harris County — home to the state's most populous city, Houston — has long been regarded as a battleground in Texas politics, though it swung solidly Democratic in the 2016 presidential election, when Hillary Clinton routed Donald Trump there by 12 points. The county previously delivered much closer margins in statewide elections, including Cruz's 2-point win there over Democratic opponent Paul Sadler in 2012.
“Harris County is a battleground,†Cruz told reporters after an early afternoon stop at a barbecue restaurant in Humble, noting he grew up in Houston and currently calls it home. “I love campaigning throughout the state of Texas, but campaigning in Houston is always special.â€
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