*By Carlo Versano*
Texas Democrats find themselves in an odd position two months before a major election: running a competitive statewide race.
Optimism that Rep. Beto O'Rourke could unseat Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the Senate is palpable in Democratic circles, said Texas Monthly's politics editor Carlos Sanchez. The race is now a "toss up," according to [Real Clear Politics] (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/senate/tx/texas_senate_cruz_vs_orourke-6310.html).
O'Rourke, who was elected to the U.S. House in 2013, has been surfing a wave of positive national press and an unorthodox, social-media-savvy campaign that found him traveling to all 254 counties of the deep red state and streaming his journey online.
All summer he's been gaining on Cruz who, compared to the charismatic O'Rourke, suffers from a "likability issue," Sanchez said. After all, Cruz's Republican colleague Lindsey Graham once famously [said](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/313969-graham-to-cruz-i-want-to-apologize-to-ted-for-saying-he-should): "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you."
Sanchez said that kind of sentiment may work in O'Rourke's favor: "The base for Cruz seems to be crumbling a bit."
But there are still challenges. While O'Rourke has out-raised Cruz by a wide margin, mostly from small-dollar donors, Cruz is better organized and allied with the powerful Koch network of donors. Sanchez said that "formidable" campaign infrastructure could pose a threat to the Democrat.
And the issue of Donald Trump looms large.
The president accepted an invitation to campaign for Cruz after Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick [reportedly](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/09/ted-cruz-reelection-trump-813354) pleaded with him to throw his support behind Cruz, a man he incidentally referred to as "Lyin' Ted" on the campaign trail.
Though that may end up working against the incumbent, Sanchez said. O'Rourke, who is popular with young and minority Democrat voters, needs those blocs to turn out on Election Day. A fiery Donald Trump rally weeks before may compel them to do just that.
O'Rourke "is the national Democrat of Texas right now," Sanchez said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/republicans-go-into-crisis-mode-as-democrat-beto-orourke-closes-in-on-ted-cruz-in-texas-senate-race).
Andrew Desiderio, Congressional Reporter for The Daily Beast, talks the GOP's passing of tax reform and the President's scoring his first major legislative win of his administration. We dig into what this means for the future of the GOP as we head into the 2018 and 2020 elections.
It's an early Christmas for Republicans. Tax reform has passed, which means the Obama-era individual mandate has officially been eliminated. Jacqueline Ayers, Director of Legislative Affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, joins Cheddar to discuss how the new bill will impact women's health.
Congressman Beto O'Rourke has represented Texas' 16th district since 2012. Now he is seeking out a new job in the Senate. He is running against Republican incumbent and former presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, and he thinks that he can win.
Congressman O'Rourke is on a mission to visit all 254 counties in Texas to listen to constituents who want to see change in Washington. His Senate campaign has already raised more the Senator Cruz's campaign, and he is not accepting money from any special interests groups or super PACs. The congressman says Ted Cruz's popularity is below that of embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who is an accused child molester.
Representative O'Rourke is confident he will beat Ted Cruz come November 2018. He views the Tax Bill and other Republican-passed legislation as an opportunity for Democrats to empower voters to get off of the sidelines and get involved with politics. The congressman says his race in Texas is not just important for the state, but critically important for the country.
After a procedural snafu last night, the House officially passed tax reform this morning. Now the bill goes to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.
Stitch Fix shares plunged after the company's first earnings report and the Senate passes tax reform. We also look a new interstellar object and what Patagonia's move in defiance of the president has meant for sales. Plus our weekly personal finance show "Your Cheddar," presented by Ally.
Early Wednesday morning the Senate passed its tax reform bill, hours after it was sent back to the House for a re-vote. Romina Boccia, Deputy Director at The Heritage Foundation, joins Cheddar to discuss how the bill will impact small companies and what she wishes was included in the legislation.
