The closely watched race between O'Rourke and Cruz has helped to boost O'Rourke, who raised more than $38 million in the third quarter. However, his chances of becoming Texas' first elected Democratic senator since 1993 are long.
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The newspaper endorsed Cruz in 2012, but this time around, it had some harsh words for the junior senator, saying Cruz has "exhibited little interest in addressing the needs of his fellow Texans during his six years in office."
"He's been running for president since he took the oath of office — more likely since he picked up his class schedule as a 15-year-old ninth-grader at Houston's Second Baptist High School more than three decades ago," the newspaper's editorial board wrote.
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"For Cruz, public office is a private quest; the needs of his constituents are secondary," the editorial board wrote, citing Cruz's decision to vote against a bill that would have provided billions of dollars in funds for hurricane relief.
Texans, particularly in Houston, are still recovering from the immense damages from Hurricane Harvey, which devastated the region in August 2017.