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Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz Clash Over Immigration and Law Enforcement in Debate Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz Clash Over Immigration in First Debate
(35 minutes later)
DALLAS — Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Beto O’Rourke clashed over immigration, law enforcement and Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Friday night in their first debate, as Mr. Cruz sought to gain momentum in his bid for re-election in Texas and both halt the rising popularity of Mr. O’Rourke and quiet some Washington Republicans who have expressed worry he may lose.DALLAS — Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Beto O’Rourke clashed over immigration, law enforcement and Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Friday night in their first debate, as Mr. Cruz sought to gain momentum in his bid for re-election in Texas and both halt the rising popularity of Mr. O’Rourke and quiet some Washington Republicans who have expressed worry he may lose.
From the debate’s first question, about the future of the unauthorized young immigrants known as “Dreamers,” Mr. Cruz and Mr. O’Rourke staked out starkly different positions. Mr. O’Rourke, an El Paso congressman, called for changes to immigration law and said, “we begin by freeing Dreamers from the fear of deportation.”From the debate’s first question, about the future of the unauthorized young immigrants known as “Dreamers,” Mr. Cruz and Mr. O’Rourke staked out starkly different positions. Mr. O’Rourke, an El Paso congressman, called for changes to immigration law and said, “we begin by freeing Dreamers from the fear of deportation.”
“Senator Cruz has promised to deport each and every single Dreamer,” he said.“Senator Cruz has promised to deport each and every single Dreamer,” he said.
Mr. Cruz argued that his views on immigration boiled down to four words: “legal, good; illegal, bad.”Mr. Cruz argued that his views on immigration boiled down to four words: “legal, good; illegal, bad.”
“I think the vast majority of Texans agree with that,” Mr. Cruz said. “It’s striking that Congressman O’Rourke, over and over and over again, his focus seems to be on fighting for illegal immigrants.”“I think the vast majority of Texans agree with that,” Mr. Cruz said. “It’s striking that Congressman O’Rourke, over and over and over again, his focus seems to be on fighting for illegal immigrants.”
Mr. Cruz argued that Mr. O’Rourke often sides against the police, and said that during a speech this week, Mr. O’Rourke “described law enforcement, described police officers, as modern day Jim Crow.” Mr. Cruz added, “I think it is offensive to call police officers modern day Jim Crow. That is not Texas.”
Mr. O’Rourke denied that he described police officers that way. “What Senator Cruz said is simply untrue, I did not call police officers ‘modern-day Jim Crow,’” said Mr. O’Rourke, who spoke of his uncle, who was a sheriff’s deputy.
Mr. Cruz found himself pressed about his support for Judge Kavanaugh in light of Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.Mr. Cruz found himself pressed about his support for Judge Kavanaugh in light of Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.
Mr. Cruz, asked if Dr. Blasey could say anything that might lead him to oppose Judge Kavanaugh, replied “absolutely,” but he did not offer specifics.Mr. Cruz, asked if Dr. Blasey could say anything that might lead him to oppose Judge Kavanaugh, replied “absolutely,” but he did not offer specifics.
“The allegations she’s raised are serious, and they deserve to be treated with respect,” Mr. Cruz said, adding that Judge Kavanaugh deserves “a full opportunity to defend himself.”“The allegations she’s raised are serious, and they deserve to be treated with respect,” Mr. Cruz said, adding that Judge Kavanaugh deserves “a full opportunity to defend himself.”
Mr. O’Rourke was far more critical of Judge Kavanaugh and said that Dr. Blasey should be heard.
At other points in the debate, Mr. Cruz argued that Mr. O’Rourke often sides against the police, and said that during a speech this week, Mr. O’Rourke “described law enforcement, described police officers, as modern day Jim Crow.”
“I think it is offensive to call police officers modern day Jim Crow,” Mr. Cruz said. “That is not Texas.”
Mr. O’Rourke denied that he described police officers that way. On Wednesday, at a town hall event at Prairie View A&M University, a historically black college in Prairie View, Tex., Mr. O’Rourke had complained about racism within the criminal justice system, including racial profiling and unjust police shootings of people of color.
According to a video clip of part of his speech, Mr. O’Rourke referred to a “system of suspecting somebody solely based on the color of their skin; searching that person, solely based on the color of their skin; stopping that person solely based on the color of their skin; shooting that person, solely based on the color of their skin.” Then Mr. O’Rourke said, “It is why some have called this, and I think it is an apt description, the new Jim Crow.”
Mr. Cruz, who was a leading Republican presidential candidate against Donald J. Trump in 2016, is seeking a second term in the Senate, but he has been on the defensive against a robust challenge from Mr. O’Rourke, who is trying to become the first Democrat since 1994 to win a statewide election in deep-red Texas.Mr. Cruz, who was a leading Republican presidential candidate against Donald J. Trump in 2016, is seeking a second term in the Senate, but he has been on the defensive against a robust challenge from Mr. O’Rourke, who is trying to become the first Democrat since 1994 to win a statewide election in deep-red Texas.
Recent polls have indicated that the race is a tossup. On Tuesday, a poll by Quinnipiac University showed Mr. Cruz leading Mr. O’Rourke by nine percentage points among likely voters surveyed by phone. On Wednesday, an online poll by Reuters and others put Mr. O’Rourke ahead of Mr. Cruz by two percentage points among likely voters, the first poll that has had Mr. O’Rourke in the lead.Recent polls have indicated that the race is a tossup. On Tuesday, a poll by Quinnipiac University showed Mr. Cruz leading Mr. O’Rourke by nine percentage points among likely voters surveyed by phone. On Wednesday, an online poll by Reuters and others put Mr. O’Rourke ahead of Mr. Cruz by two percentage points among likely voters, the first poll that has had Mr. O’Rourke in the lead.
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The Friday night face-off was a clash not only of red and blue America, but of personalities. Mr. O’Rourke, a former punk-rock musician, was facing one of Washington’s most skillful debaters.The Friday night face-off was a clash not only of red and blue America, but of personalities. Mr. O’Rourke, a former punk-rock musician, was facing one of Washington’s most skillful debaters.
Mr. Cruz was a national debate champion at Princeton University and has argued cases before the United States Supreme Court as Texas solicitor general. He had been prepping for this debate for weeks, long before the schedule was even finalized, engaging in hourslong prep sessions multiple times per week, according to people close to Mr. Cruz.Mr. Cruz was a national debate champion at Princeton University and has argued cases before the United States Supreme Court as Texas solicitor general. He had been prepping for this debate for weeks, long before the schedule was even finalized, engaging in hourslong prep sessions multiple times per week, according to people close to Mr. Cruz.
Mr. O’Rourke, for his part, had been holding mock debates with his staff and getting used to answering questions in 90 seconds, according to people familiar with the preparations. And he had turned to an unlikely hobby: keeping a journal. During a road trip across the state last year, Mr. O’Rourke started writing down his daily experiences in journals, chronicling the people he met and the stories he heard. He has kept up the habit ever since, and over the past couple weeks, he has been rereading his journals for inspiration.Mr. O’Rourke, for his part, had been holding mock debates with his staff and getting used to answering questions in 90 seconds, according to people familiar with the preparations. And he had turned to an unlikely hobby: keeping a journal. During a road trip across the state last year, Mr. O’Rourke started writing down his daily experiences in journals, chronicling the people he met and the stories he heard. He has kept up the habit ever since, and over the past couple weeks, he has been rereading his journals for inspiration.
The debate came at a crucial time for Mr. Cruz, as Mr. O’Rourke has been on a recent upswing and has become a kind of Democratic rock-star in Texas and beyond, with TV talk-show appearances and packed rallies. His defense of football players taking a knee during the national anthem received millions of online views. A top Trump adviser, Mick Mulvaney, the federal budget director, evoked the anxiety among many Republicans when he told donors recently in New York City that Mr. Cruz might lose re-election because he is not seen as “likable” enough.The debate came at a crucial time for Mr. Cruz, as Mr. O’Rourke has been on a recent upswing and has become a kind of Democratic rock-star in Texas and beyond, with TV talk-show appearances and packed rallies. His defense of football players taking a knee during the national anthem received millions of online views. A top Trump adviser, Mick Mulvaney, the federal budget director, evoked the anxiety among many Republicans when he told donors recently in New York City that Mr. Cruz might lose re-election because he is not seen as “likable” enough.
Mr. Cruz has tried to brush off Mr. Mulvaney’s remarks, and the senator’s aides and those close to him say he has been taking his opponent seriously but remains confident he will win.Mr. Cruz has tried to brush off Mr. Mulvaney’s remarks, and the senator’s aides and those close to him say he has been taking his opponent seriously but remains confident he will win.
“He knows he’s up against a serious candidate and that Democrats are energized by their rage against the President,” David K. Panton, an investor who is one of Mr. Cruz’s close friends and who was the senator’s debate-team partner at Princeton, wrote in an email. He added, “As he often tells me, you are either running scared or unopposed.”“He knows he’s up against a serious candidate and that Democrats are energized by their rage against the President,” David K. Panton, an investor who is one of Mr. Cruz’s close friends and who was the senator’s debate-team partner at Princeton, wrote in an email. He added, “As he often tells me, you are either running scared or unopposed.”
For Mr. O’Rourke and Texas Democrats, the political stakes are considerable. The last time a Democrat was elected to statewide office was nearly 24 years ago, when Attorney General Dan Morales, Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and a handful of others won re-election in November 1994. Mr. O’Rourke has become the key focus of activists and small-dollar donors in a drive to turn Texas from red to purple and, someday, even blue.For Mr. O’Rourke and Texas Democrats, the political stakes are considerable. The last time a Democrat was elected to statewide office was nearly 24 years ago, when Attorney General Dan Morales, Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and a handful of others won re-election in November 1994. Mr. O’Rourke has become the key focus of activists and small-dollar donors in a drive to turn Texas from red to purple and, someday, even blue.
Mr. Cruz has been eager to go on the offensive lately, telling audiences that his opponent is too radical for Texas and claiming that Mr. O’Rourke supports abolishing I.C.E. and impeaching President Trump. (Mr. O’Rourke has said that he has never directly advocated for impeachment; he has criticized the Trump administration’s family-separation policy, including abolishing I.C.E., but he has also questioned what abolishing the agency “would accomplish.”)Mr. Cruz has been eager to go on the offensive lately, telling audiences that his opponent is too radical for Texas and claiming that Mr. O’Rourke supports abolishing I.C.E. and impeaching President Trump. (Mr. O’Rourke has said that he has never directly advocated for impeachment; he has criticized the Trump administration’s family-separation policy, including abolishing I.C.E., but he has also questioned what abolishing the agency “would accomplish.”)
On Twitter, Mr. Cruz joked about Mr. O’Rourke’s appeal to the anti-meat crowd, tweeting that “if Beto wins, BBQ will be illegal!”On Twitter, Mr. Cruz joked about Mr. O’Rourke’s appeal to the anti-meat crowd, tweeting that “if Beto wins, BBQ will be illegal!”
Mr. O’Rourke has seemed uninterested in directly trading barbs with Mr. Cruz. “We’re running not against anyone or anything or any other political party — we are running for this country, and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Mr. O’Rourke told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.”Mr. O’Rourke has seemed uninterested in directly trading barbs with Mr. Cruz. “We’re running not against anyone or anything or any other political party — we are running for this country, and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Mr. O’Rourke told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.”
Last week, after months of negotiations over logistics, the number of debates and whether to hold one in Spanish, the Cruz and O’Rourke campaigns agreed to three one-hour debates: The first one Friday in Dallas; a second on Sept. 30 at the University of Houston; and a third on Oct. 16 at a television studio in San Antonio.Last week, after months of negotiations over logistics, the number of debates and whether to hold one in Spanish, the Cruz and O’Rourke campaigns agreed to three one-hour debates: The first one Friday in Dallas; a second on Sept. 30 at the University of Houston; and a third on Oct. 16 at a television studio in San Antonio.