Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Representative Colin Allred are set to engage in a pivotal televised debate on Tuesday, October 15, at 7 p.m. This debate, dubbed "The Texas Debate," will take place at WFAA's studios in downtown Dallas and will be broadcast across TEGNA's extensive media networks covering 87% of the state. Moderated by WFAA Senior Political Reporter Jason Whitely and The Dallas Morning News' political reporter Gromer Jeffers, Jr., the debate aims to provide voters with a deeper understanding of the candidates' stances on crucial issues.

Senator Cruz, a prominent figure in Texas politics since his election in 2012, is seeking re-election for a third six-year term in the Senate. As the ranking member of the Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation, Cruz has been active in shaping policy on various important issues. On the other side, Representative Allred, elected to the U.S. House in 2018, is known for his contribution to flipping U.S. House seats in the Dallas area. In the 2018 election, Cruz clinched a narrow victory over former Representative Beto O'Rourke by a mere 3 percentage points, marking one of the tightest margins in a Texas U.S. Senate race in recent history.

With the debate scheduled just weeks before Election Day on November 5, both Cruz and Allred aim to sway undecided voters in what could be a closely contested battle for the Senate seat. The event will be simulcast on TEGNA's Texas stations and streaming platforms, providing voters across the state with access to the candidates' viewpoints on various pressing issues. As the candidates prepare to engage in a battle of ideas, the Texas Debate promises to offer voters a crucial opportunity to make informed decisions come election day.