Cruz Beats Beto in Texas Nail-Biter

It was close, but Ted Cruz will keep his Senate seat in Texas. The Republican defeated Democrat Beto O'Rourke Tuesday, reports CNN. O'Rourke jumped out to an early lead in returns, but the lead then went back and forth throughout the night. Cruz, though, eventually dashed Democrats' hopes of flipping the seat, along with the party's hopes of ending a losing streak for statewide posts that goes back more than 20 years. Cruz was up 51.1% to 48.3% when CNN and other outlets, including NBC News, called the race. “Everyone is taken aback by the closeness of this election,” Austin political consultant Bill Miller tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Anyone who follows politics knows this is an extraordinary evening. (More on the midterms.)