Dewhurst-Cruz Debate Could Turn on Immigration

June 22, 2012 4:37 pm by: Brian Baresch

Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst will debate tonight at 8. Photo illustration by Jennifer Whitney/Texas Tribune

By Katherine Jacobsen

U.S. Senate Republican runoff candidates Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst will debate tonight in Dallas. Both are running on what they call strong conservative credentials, which has led to similar stances on topics including abortion, taxes and calls to repeal the federal health care law.

But Aman Batheja at the Texas Tribune, KUT’s political reporting partner, says the two could use immigration to differentiate themselves.

“Dewhurst supports a border wall in some spots along the border where he thinks it will be effective; Cruz supports the border wall across the entire border,” Batheja said. “Regarding a guest worker program, Dewhurst has said in the past that he thinks it’s a good idea, but more recently he’s said that he doesn’t support any kind of a guest worker program that involves granting any kind of amnesty to any kind of illegal immigrants. Cruz has said that he opposes guest worker programs all together.”

Batheja says that the increased interest in immigration policy might be in reaction to President Obama’s order halting the deportation of some illegal immigrants. Both candidates have come out against the order.

The runoff election is July 31. You can hear the Cruz and Dewhurst debate tonight at 8 o’clock on KUT.