Ted Cruz laments GOP's 'Watergate-level' repudiation in midterms

Cameron Fozi, Bloomberg News on Nov 4, 2026

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Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the sweeping Democratic victories across the U.S. a “blue tsunami” and delivered a scathing assessment of his party’s historic losses, including in his home state, where Republicans were ousted from nearly every major office.

“2026 was not simply a blue wave. It was a blue tsunami. It was an a— kicking,” Cruz said on an episode of his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, released Wednesday. “It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election. It was a Watergate-level repudiation.”

The assessment came after Democrats ended more than three decades of Republican dominance in a state that had long seemed beyond their reach. James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat against scandal-plagued Republican nominee Ken Paxton and Gina Hinojosa ousted three-term Governor Greg Abbott. Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, while Democrat Nathan Johnson won the attorney general’s race.

Texas Democrats also captured statewide offices overseeing land, agriculture and energy regulation, along with judicial seats, while flipping control of the state’s House of Representatives.

“Nowhere are the consequences of this election greater than Texas,” Cruz said. “We need to listen and respond. We need to champion economic policies that make a real difference in working people’s lives and we need to deal with the consequences.”

The results in Texas marked a stunning reversal for a state that President Donald Trump carried by about 14 percentage points in 2024 and where Republicans had held every statewide elected office since 1994. The political sea change was part of a nationwide surge for Democrats, a broad rejection of MAGA and a rebuke of Trump’s policies, including against tariffs and the war in Iran, which are being blamed for higher everyday costs.

“Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high,” Cruz said. “Too many Republican politicians seem like they didn’t understand or they didn’t care.”

Cruz, 55, has represented Texas in the Senate since 2013 and is not up for reelection until 2030. A former state solicitor general and longtime Trump ally, he gone through two high-profile Democratic challenges that raised hopes of a political shift in Texas. He defeated Beto O’Rourke by almost 3 points in 2018, then won reelection against Colin Allred in 2024 by more than 8 points, despite polls that had suggested a closer contest.

“I am the only statewide elected Republican who remains in Texas,” Cruz said. “That’s not something I ever thought I would say.”