Cruz on midterms: ‘It was an a‑‑ kicking’

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) reflected on the results of the midterm elections in his home state and nationwide, calling the Democrats' win a " blue tsunami ."

"2026 was not simply a blue wave. It was a blue tsunami. It was an a‑‑ kicking," Cruz said in an episode of his podcast , "Verdict with Ted Cruz."

The Democrats won a stunning victory in the midterm elections, securing control over the House and Senate. The party notched big wins in battleground states like Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Michigan, flipping GOP-held seats.

In Texas, where Republicans have historically maintained a stronghold for years, Democratic candidates emerged victorious in key races. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) defeated incumbent GOP Gov. Greg Abbott to be elected as the state's first Latina governor. Abbott has served three terms, and the state has not seen a Democratic governor since Ann Richards in 1994.

The Lone Star State was also home to one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, where Democrat James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) to become the first Democratic senator from the state in decades.

"Nowhere are the consequences of this election greater than Texas," Cruz said in his podcast. "In the Lone Star State, we lost every single statewide election."

"For weeks I had been publicly warning … that we were in very real danger of losing everything in Texas. Far too few believed that was possible," he added.

In the podcast, Cruz discussed issues that led to the Republicans' losses in the elections, highlighting the cost of living as a "top issue."

"Food is too high. Gas is too high. Diesel is too high. Insurance is too high. Life is too high," Cruz said. "Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long."

He pressed the need to "listen and respond" and "champion economic policies that make a real difference in working people's lives."

In an earlier statement shared to social media, the Republican senator said that "Texans will be hurt" by the midterm results, which swayed the state in the direction of the Democrats.

"Their assault on business will make Texas a much less attractive place to start or grow a small business," he wrote. "Texas will become more like California if they succeed in halting all new investment into AI."