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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at Republican Tarrant County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare\u2019s re-election campaign event on Sept. 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
Rachel Royster<\/p>\n
rroyster@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz headlined the fall campaign kick-off for Republican County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare\u2019s run for re-election Wednesday night. He said the stakes are high for the November midterm election, and if Republicans don\u2019t show up to vote, they will lose Tarrant County and Texas.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hare is up against Democrat Commissioner Alisa Simmons<\/a>. He is running on the same campaign promises from his 2022 election of cutting property taxes, maintaining an efficient budget and prioritizing public safety. As Cruz said, O\u2019Hare \u201cdid DOGE before DOGE was cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Though it was an event dedicated to O\u2019Hare\u2019s race for the county judge seat, Cruz spent the most time talking about Republican successes in Congress and the threat of the U.S. Senate Democratic candidate, James Talarico.<\/p>\n Democrats have \u201clost their ever-loving mind,\u201d Cruz said. The threats against the nation have never been greater than they are in the midterm elections, he told the Grapevine Convention Center crowd of a few hundred.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no longer a contest between left and right,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cThis is no longer a contest between liberal and conservative. This is a contest between crazy and common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Talarico is a dangerous man, and the stakes of this election are massive, Cruz said.<\/p>\n Though Cruz never instructed the audience to vote for Republican candidate Ken Paxton by name, he did urge them to vote Republican down the ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cThe men and women who will save Tarrant County and the men and women who will save Texas are right here in this room,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cI want to ask every one of you to go out and vote for Tim O\u2019Hare and vote for Republicans up and down the ballot 10 times \u2026 if you get nine other people who wouldn\u2019t have voted to show up and vote, you just voted 10 times.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier in the night, O\u2019Hare and the elected officials introducing him had a similar message for his supporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole entire country is watching Tarrant County,\u201d O\u2019Hare said. \u201cOur challenge to every one of you: our challenge is, what are you going to do to make sure on Nov. 4 you wake up smiling?\u201d<\/p>\n In the opening prayer, Fort Worth pastor and senior advisor to the governor<\/a> Nate Schatzline prayed over the election.<\/p>\n \u201cFather, I pray that you would wake up the church, the true hope of the world, your bride, Father, that this is going to be a season where we see believers across our great state rise up like never before and vote with their biblical values.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n
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