Former Texas State Solicitor Ted Cruz overwhelmingly defeated Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst on Tuesday in the GOP runoff for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by long-time Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Cruz completed a NumbersUSA immigration-reduction survey answering "yes" to all questions earning him "True Reformer" status.
Cruz captured the GOP nomination with 57% of the vote. In the primary held back in May, Dewhurst beat Cruz by 10 points, but didn't secure 50% of the vote forcing yesterday's runoff.
Cruz has consistently maintained an immigration platform that focuses on interior enforcement, workplace verification, and border security. His NumbersUSA survey responses also show his commitment to reducing the overall numbers.
Dewhurst, while endorsing a mandatory workplace verification system, has been less than enthusiastic when it comes to border security and interior enforcement. He also supported the Texas in-state tuition bill for illegal aliens passed back in 2001, and as Texas Senate President prevented key enforcement legislation, including Gov. Rick Perry's anti-sanctuary citiy, bill from coming to the floor for a vote.
Kay Bailey Hutchison has served in the U.S. Senate since 1993, and while she did oppose attempts to pass the DREAM Act the 2010, she has been mediocre at best on the issue, earning a career NumbersUSA grade of a C+. In 2006 and 2007, she supported the Bush-Kennedy-McCain mass amnesty bills in the Senate. She also voted to strip the creation of a workplace verification system in Rep. Lamar Smith's 1996 Illegal Immigration Control and Immigration Reform Act, and she has opposed attempts to end the Visa Lottery.
For more information, see the Houston Chronicle.
Updated: Wed, Aug 1st 2012 @ 9:08am EDT