Senator Ted Cruz was in Amarillo on Monday, attempting to rally his Republican base ahead of the November general election.
On Monday afternoon, Cruz rolled into town to deliver a campaign address and field questions at Leal's Mexican Restaurant near Interstate 40 and Georgia. The restaurant was packed with hundreds of supporters and opponents, each hoping to catch a glimpse of the one-time presidential hopeful and first term senator.
During his speech to those attending, Cruz highlighted President Donald Trump's agenda and his support of tax reform legislation and other similar issues. Cruz also weighed in on DACA, saying that since the item's passage, illegal immigration has increased in Texas.
Overall, while Cruz weighed in on his legislative agenda, he also told attendees that concerns are real about his challengers. However, Cruz remained hopeful about his chances to win another term to his seat in November.
"We're going to see Democratic turnout in record numbers," Cruz said. "But the good news is this is Texas and there are a whole lot more conservatives than liberals in Texas."
While the Cruz stop was filled heavily with supporters of the Republican firebrand, other attendees expressed their support for Cruz's Democratic opponent, El Paso native Beto O'Rourke.
According to the Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek, Cruz dismissed concerns from supporters about the number of times O'Rourke has appeared in the Texas Panhandle and said that he will return before election day.
Ted Cruz was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, defeating Democrat Paul Sadler, 56 percent to 41 percent. Libertarian John Jay Myers and Green David B. Collins split the remaining percentage.
The former Texas solicitor general also ran for president in the 2016 Republican primary, placing second in the overall convention tally to eventual election winner, Donald Trump. While Cruz lost the race, he won several contests, including Texas, and won 25 percent of the primary vote nationwide. Aside from Cruz and Trump, the only other candidates to win primary contests were Florida senator Marco Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich.
Cruz is facing O'Rourke and Libertarian Neal Dikeman in the November general election.
