Ted Cruz and Colin Allred Face Off in Texas Senate Debate

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and his Democratic opponent, Representative Colin Allred, met in their first and probably only televised debate on Tuesday night.

The race for the U.S. Senate in Texas has grown closer in recent weeks as the candidates draw on tens of millions of dollars in campaign cash to fight an aggressive advertising war. Both campaigns have sought to appeal to a moderate middle, portraying the other candidate as the more extreme choice.

Polls have consistently shown Mr. Cruz leading. But his margin has not been wide — a survey out on Tuesday from the University of Houston gave him a 50 percent to 46 percent advantage — and Republicans have been concerned. Mr. Cruz is polling slightly behind former President Donald J. Trump in Texas.

That has fueled some hopes among Democrats that Texas could provide a long-shot opportunity to make a pickup, perhaps the party’s best chance in a year when it has few winnable Senate races. At the moment, Republicans appear poised to win enough seats to take control of the chamber.

The hourlong debate, taking place live in Dallas at 7 p.m. Central time, was likely to focus on immigration and inflation — two top issues for Texas voters — as well as abortion.

But in recent days, the candidates have been sparring over their positions on a different issue: youth sports participation.