Cruz warns Republicans could lose 8 Senate seats and be swept statewide in Texas

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told listeners his party could fall from 53 Senate seats to 45 on Tuesday, and that Texas is "excruciatingly close." It is a public warning from inside the GOP two days before the midterm vote.

By the Campaign Desk · Friday, October 30, 2026, 6:13 PM ET · 2 min read

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Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said Friday that his party could lose as many as eight Senate seats on Tuesday. He also warned that Republicans could be swept in every statewide race in Texas, including the Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico ¹.

Cruz spoke on his podcast, "The Verdict with Ted Cruz." He said there are "eight to 10 Senate races across the country that are basically tied" ¹.

From 53 seats to 45

Cruz laid out a wide range of outcomes. With a good Election Day, he said, Republicans could end up with 53 Senate seats and grow their majority. With a bad one, he said, they could wake up the next day with 45 ¹.

He had just campaigned in Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan and Iowa for GOP candidates. He said that large a swing is at play ¹.

From Channel GOPTalarico: Elon Musk is trying to buy Texas Senate seatJames Talarico · 140 plays · captioned, with the source named

**Ted Cruz**, U.S. senator, Republican-Texas¹

Cruz said he is worried about "massive Democratic turnout." He also warned of a potential "blood bath" if Republicans do not vote in big numbers ¹.

He said that if only the early votes cast so far were counted, Republicans "would lose massively." He added that reliable Republican voters are not voting early at the same rate as reliable Democrats ¹.

Texas, and the case against 'the polls are wrong'

Cruz said the Texas statewide races are extremely close. He said Republicans could lose every one of them if things go wrong ¹.

Some Republicans argue the polls are wrong. Cruz pushed back. He said pollsters may sometimes lean left, but the data on Democratic turnout is real ¹.

He also said there are Republican votes still out there to turn things around if GOP-leaning voters get motivated. His message to listeners was a plea to vote ¹.

This is not a one-time remark. On Oct. 17, Cruz told Fox News that eight to 10 Senate races were tied or within the margin of error ². On Friday he added the 45-seat worst case and the Texas sweep warning ¹.

What happens next

Voting ends Tuesday, Nov. 3. Cruz urged Republicans to turn out, saying a good night and a bad night are far apart ¹.

That matters because Cruz is a Republican who has run many campaigns, and he is describing early-vote data in his own party's terms. He is arguing the Democratic turnout is genuine, not a polling error. The Hill's report does not include a response from Talarico, Paxton or the Democratic Party ¹.

The Record

Oct 17, 2026Cruz tells Fox News that eight to 10 Senate races are tied or within the margin of error ².
Oct 30, 2026Cruz says on his podcast that Republicans could fall from 53 Senate seats to 45 and could lose every statewide race in Texas ¹.
Nov 3, 2026Election Day: Voters decide the Senate contest between Ken Paxton and James Talarico, along with other Senate races ¹.

Sources

The Hill, “Cruz warns GOP could lose 8 Senate seats, get swept in Texas” (2026-10-30). thehill.com/homenews/senate/6185545-ted-cruz-warns-gop-losse
PinkNews, “Ted Cruz rants about 'left-wing transgender witches' who hate Donald Trump” (2026-10-19). thepinknews.com/2026/10/19/ted-cruz-fox-news-left-wing-trans

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