Opinion | Nevertheless, Ted Cruz Persists

Ted Cruz is looking cocky.Rocking Ray-Bans and an “I Voted” sticker on his lapel — it’s the first day of early voting in Texas — he is easing his way across the parking lot of his local polling place, toward TV cameras set up beside his campaign bus.

Backed by sign-waving fans, he starts his brief remarks, only to be interrupted by an angry man shouting from a few yards away: “You’re a traitor to democracy!”Some pro-Cruz women yell back, and the heckler wanders off through the parked cars.Mr.

Cruz seems not to even notice, plowing ahead with his call to “Keep Texas Texas” — his campaign motto — and talking up jobs, freedom and security.(That last category consists largely of horrifying stories about violent crimes perpetrated by “Venezuelan gang members.”) He takes shots at his Democratic opponent, Representative Colin Allred, whom he calls a formidable candidate “if he were running for City Council in San Francisco.” (Mr.

Cruz uses this line at multiple stops.It’s a real crowd pleaser.) And when asked if he’s concerned about the influx of new voters to Texas in recent years and the state’s shifting demographics, he fires back with absolute confidence:“We’re going to win.”With his buoyant delivery and smug smile, Mr.

Cruz wants to remind you of something: He is never happier than seeing a liberal fantasy and crushing it.The Democratic dream of turning Texas blue is approaching middle age with nothing to show for it, but this particular hope never dies — and the goal of ousting Mr.

Cruz, a bête noire of Democrats if ever there were one, will endure as long as he’s in office.As in his last race in 2018, he is Democrats’ top Senate target this year, with recent polling showing him just a few measly points ahead of Mr.

Allred, generally within the margin of error.And once again he is being dramatically out-raised by the Democrats, a disparity made worse by the millions of dollars that national Democratic groups a...