In the days leading up to Halloween, the atmosphere surrounding the midterm election grew unusually tense for the Republican Party. While campaigning in Fairbanks, Alaska Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was asked why a large portion of GOP-held Senate seats had turned into competitive battlegrounds.
Responding on camera, Cruz pointed to the sheer number of close contests, noting, “there are eight to 10 Senate races that are tied or within the margin of error.” He then shifted focus to what he described as a newly motivated voting bloc, stating, “And right now, if you’re a left-wing transgender witch, you hate Donald Trump, and you’re going to show up.” The comment framed the emerging voter segment as a catalyst for the party’s predicament.
Sen. Cruz’s view on the trans electorate and voter turnout
According to Cruz, the phenomenon is typical of midterm dynamics where the party in power often faces heightened scrutiny. He argued that the current surge of left-leaning trans voters has amplified the sense of a “curse” hanging over Republican candidates. “Ordinary Alaskans hold the power to break left-wing trans voters’ spell” he added, suggesting that a surge of regular voters could counterbalance the perceived threat.
Continuing his appeal, Cruz asked, “Does everybody else show up? Do conservatives show up? Do libertarians show up? Do just common sense Americans who are not lunatics who don’t think communism and Islamism are a good idea?” He concluded with a rallying cry: “If regular, ordinary Americans show up to vote, Dan Sullivan’s going to be reelected here in Alaska, and we’re going to win Senate seats and House seats all over the country.” The emphasis on turnout positioned the election as a battle of everyday citizens against what he framed as a fringe activist surge.
Alaska’s Senate contest and Dan Sullivan’s record
While Cruz delivered his remarks, he stood alongside Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan who nodded in agreement. Sullivan’s own history with transgender rights includes signing Republican letters that opposed protections for transgender athletes and criticized gender-affirming care for minors, as reported by local coverage. Those letters challenged policies that allowed transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity and that supported medical care for minors.
Interestingly, Sullivan once told a 2017 outlet that he opposed President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender troops serving in the military, highlighting a nuanced stance within the party. More recent discussions have likened efforts to identify and discharge transgender service members to a modern “witch hunt.” Poll data compiled by a major newspaper’s tracker shows the Alaska Senate race has tightened, with Sullivan currently trailing Democrat Mary Peltola in the latest survey.
Both senators also distanced themselves from Trump’s decision to import diesel fuel from Russia, underscoring a rare moment of bipartisan opposition on foreign-policy matters. The combination of Cruz’s cultural framing and Sullivan’s policy record creates a complex narrative as the GOP navigates a series of races that could determine its legislative future.
