Ted Cruz expands lead over Democratic challenger ahead of Senate elections, latest poll shows

Texas Senator Ted Cruz expanded his lead over his Democratic challenger in late August, according to a new poll.

The study, conducted by Quantus Polls and News among 1,000 registered voters between August 29 and 30, shows the incumbent with a 7-point lead over Colin Allred, 50% to 43%.

It is a larger gap compared to a survey from earlier in the month by YouGov, which surveyed 1,365 likely voters between August 5 and 16 and had Cruz with 47% of the support compared to Allred's 45%. Another poll by the Democratic-sponsored Clean and Prosperous America also showed the challenger lagging by a narrow, 2-point margin.

However, the gap seems to have widened since. An ActiVote study conducted between August 13 and 29 among 400 likely voters concluded that Cruz had a solid lead, 55% to 45%.

Allred has been keeping his campaign focused on state issues, seeking to keep the national race at arm's length. He did attend the Democratic National Convention, using the stage along with other candidates in close races to continue hammering his message.

After saying he was "so proud to be here to support our next president, Kamala Harris," he moved on to the need to defeat Cruz and GOP nominee Donald Trump, who he described as "me-guys."

"You know, the type to talk a big game, only care about themselves, but you don't want to get stuck with them at a barbecue. We got a message the me-guys. 'We' is more powerful than 'me,'" Allred said during a passage of his speech.

"We will restore reproductive freedom. We will secure the border. We will protect Medicare and Social Security. And we will turn the page and write a new chapter for this country and elect Kamala Harris to be the next president and beat Ted Cruz," he added to a crowd that erupted in chants of "Beat Ted Cruz." In recent appearances he also focused on close polling, saying "this is a margin you can make happen and we can make happen."

Cruz, on his end, recently made reference to Allred's allocution, challenging the possibility of a defeat. "That entire convention started chanting, 'beat Ted Cruz.' Let me tell you right now, you ain't gonna," Cruz said during a rally in The Colony.

The incumbent has also boasted about receiving a key show of support: that of the union representing the U.S. Border Patrol. He was officially endorsed in an August event in the border town of Edinburg, where he delivered a speech before hundreds of agents and their families at the National Border Patrol Council's national headquarters.