TYLER, Texas — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz spoke to a group of Smith County Republicans on Saturday.
Cruz made a stop at the Republic Icehouse in Tyler to speak about border security, inflation and crime. In November, Cruz is set to face off against Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for a seat in the U.S Senate.
Over 400 people were in attendance to hear from Cruz. Tyler's Republic Icehouse was the first of three stops Cruz made in Texas on the second day of his re-election campaign. Cruz focused on issues pertaining to the border, crime and the economy.
Cruz also took time to reaffirm his support for former President Donald Trump ahead of the presidential race in November.
"I want to ask every one of you to do is to come out and vote, to vote for Donald Trump, to vote for me, and to vote for every single Republican up and down the ballot," Cruz said.
Cruz also took time to voice opposition to President Joe Biden's administration.
"Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, every single policy they've gotten wrong. And that's hard to do," Cruz said. "Everything, out of control, spending out of control, debt, inflation, skyrocketing cost of everything's gone up, cost of food, cost of health care, cost of electricity, cost of rent, cost of lumber, cost of mortgages, cost of gasoline."
A key focus for Cruz's campaign is an influx of migrants at the southern border, an issue he blames presidential Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, for.
"Kamala Harris has been the border czar for the last four years," Cruz said. "She's presided over the worst illegal immigration in our nation's history, and an invasion that happened because she wanted it to happen."
Cruz said his stop in East Texas is crucial in his campaign tour as he seeks six more years in office.
"My last reelection in 2018, I would not have been reelected without the good men and women of East Texas," Cruz said. "I spend a lot of time up here. I will continue to spend a lot of time up here. And in this election, look, I'm calling on the people of East Texas. You need to show up; you need to vote."
Allred is expected to speak in Tyler at the Liberty Baptist Church on Sunday following his campaign stops in North Texas.