Cruz maintains a slim lead in the race

For weeks, incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has had a razor-thin lead over U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas. However, surveys show that the challenger is still within striking distance in the final days of the election campaign.

A new Emerson College/The Hill poll shows Cruz leading Allred by just one percentage point — 48% to 47% — with 5% of voters still undecided. The last Emerson poll released in September showed Cruz ahead by four percentage points.

The latest poll numbers follow a heated prime-time debate between the two candidates, in which each tried to portray the other as an extremist. Allred tried to tie Cruz to the extreme abortion ban in Texas, while the incumbent blamed Allred and Democrats for the chaos at the southern border.

The following day, Allred traveled to El Paso to make his pitch to veterans and rally Democratic voters ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.