Ted Cruz Says Rival Beto O'Rourke Too Liberal for Conservative Texas

FORT WORTH — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday his challenger, Rep. Beto O'Rourke, is too liberal for conservative Texas.In an interview with The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV (NBC5), Cruz said O'Rourke supports open borders, higher taxes, more regulation, aggressive gun control and the Affordable Care Act."Congressman O'Rourke is running far, far to the left," said Texas' junior senator. "Most campaigns in Texas, in the general election, try to pretend to move to the middle, try to pretend to be centrist. Congressman O'Rourke is not doing that. He's running like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren."Cruz said he's concerned about O'Rourke's stout fundraising. The El Paso Democrat raised $6.7 million during the most recent campaign quarter. But the incumbent said he's "comforted" by the belief that there are more conservatives in Texas than liberals."They're not in step with what Texans want," Cruz said. "There are people on the far left, but there are a lot more conservatives...If conservatives show up in November and vote, I think we'll have a good election."Cruz on Wednesday was at the River Ranch at the Fort Worth stockyards for the final stop of his campaign kickoff tour. He also made stops in Amarillo and Wichita Falls.He opened his general election bid Monday at the Redneck Country Club in Stafford near Houston, unveiling his new "Tough as Texas” slogan and hitting familiar themes like defending the Constitution, protecting gun rights and securing the country's southern border with Mexico.  Continue reading...