TEXAS — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said during a radio appearance on July 8, 2026, that the Texas Senate race is close. Cruz described Democratic nominee James Talarico as "radical" and "extreme." Cruz cited Talarico labeling God nonbinary, stating there are six recognized sexes, and running a "non-meat" campaign as reasons for his characterization.

"Unfortunately, I do think he has a real chance," Cruz said. "I think it's going to be close." He added, "I think we're going to win, I think we're going to keep Texas red, but the polling right now shows this is a 1- or 2-point race." Cruz also said, "This guy is also charming. He is affable, he sounds like a preacher, and I worry about the voters who may not be paying close attention to the issues, who just turn on the TV and say, 'Oh, he seems like a nice young man.'"

Gov. Greg Abbott guest-hosted the program. Abbott said he believes Talarico will be beatable once Texans learn more about him. Abbott is up for reelection in November 2026. Recent public polling shows Talarico running close to Republican nominee Ken Paxton.

Cruz encouraged Republicans and "ordinary commonsense Texans" to vote. Dan Patrick has previously expressed concerns about a divided Republican Party leading to defeat and called on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn to support Paxton. Cornyn has stated he will support the Republican ticket but will not campaign for Paxton.

Cruz and Abbott discussed the U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting Donald Trump's executive order banning birthright citizenship. They discussed options to navigate the ruling without a constitutional amendment, including a federal law or an executive order denying visas to visibly pregnant women. Cruz, a former state solicitor general, said, "If it's someone coming before there's any indication they're pregnant, that's one thing, but if someone is seven, eight, nine months pregnant and visibly pregnant, I think the administration ought to say we will not grant a tourist visa, visitor visa or any other visa to anyone who is pregnant." Cruz added, "That makes sense, and there's no legal impediment to doing that."

Other guests included White House border czar Tom Homan, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and Buc'ee's founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin III. Longhorns Football Coach Steve Sarkisian also appeared. Homan and Abbott did not address the fatal shooting of a man in Houston on July 7 by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Musk told Abbott he would attempt to secure a Texas flag emoji for his social media platform, X. Graham Platner suspended his campaign on Wednesday amid accusations of rape and sexual misconduct.