#TXSen: Tea-Party Favorite Surges in Texas Senate Race

The Wall Street Journal:

AUSTIN, Texas—Tea-party favorite Raphael “Ted” Cruz is aiming to pull off an upset in a U.S. Senate primary runoff next week, aided by a rush of super PAC spending.

Just weeks ago, Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst appeared to have a comfortable lead in the race to become the Republican candidate—the main event in the conservative Lone Star State—after he finished first in the May primary. But his 10-point margin wasn’t enough to avoid next Tuesday’s runoff with Mr. Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general.

Now, against a backdrop of heavy spending by independent political-action committees, Mr. Dewhurst looks to be in the fight of his life. Recent polls suggest momentum has shifted to Mr. Cruz, a Harvard Law School graduate and son of Cuban immigrants.

Mr. Cruz became a darling of tea-party activists through his muscular support of states’ rights and criticism of the federal government. He favors allowing states to pass Arizona-style legislation targeting illegal immigration and has called for reducing income-taxes rates and federal spending, including shuttering agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

A July 12 poll of likely GOP voters by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found Mr. Cruz leading the runoff race 49% to 44%, a reversal from its May poll showing Mr. Dewhurst ahead by 17 points.