Ted Cruz and Colin Allred agree to debate in US Senate election campaign

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U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Representative Colin Allred, have agreed to a televised debate next month in Dallas, which would mark the first on-stage confrontation between the two Senate candidates.

The debate is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the WFAA-TV studio in downtown Dallas. It will be moderated by political reporters Jason Whitely of WFAA and Gromer Jeffers Jr. of The Dallas Morning News and will air on broadcast and digital platforms across the state, according to WFAA.

Cruz, a Texas Republican seeking his third term in the upper house, has a single-digit lead over Allred in several recent national polls. Democrats nationally see Texas as one of their best chances to win votes, although they are more focused on defending their incumbents in other states.

Cruz is no stranger to high-profile political debates. He debated his former Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke twice and participated in a dozen debates during his race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Allred, a Dallas Democrat, has also participated in numerous debates, facing off against Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions on several occasions in 2018 when Allred ousted the longtime incumbent. Allred also participated in a three-way debate in the Democratic Senate primary earlier this year.