Former President Obama “has endorsed 11 Texas Democrats leading up to next month’s midterm elections. But none go by the popular four-letter moniker Beto,” the Texas Tribune reports.

Said U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke (D): “I don’t think we’re interested. I am so grateful to him for his service, he’s going to go down as one of the greatest presidents. And yet, this election is on Texas.”

Beto O’Rourke (D) pledged in an interview with the Texas Tribune “to serving out the full six-year term in the Senate if elected, pushing down buzz that he might make a run at the White House in 2020.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R) did not quite say the same. His reply, which went on for two minutes but did not answer the question, concluded with, “We should be standing up for who we are as Texans and Americans.”

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, “took a newly aggressive tack against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in their first debate Friday evening,” the Texas Tribune reports.

“Appearing at Southern Methodist University, the candidates exchanged rhetorical blows on just about every single question, showing off sharp differences that have long been evident in the race. But what stood out was O’Rourke’s combative posture toward Cruz after spending his campaign until this point largely ignoring the incumbent and his attacks.”

“Throughout the debate, O’Rourke repeatedly reminded viewers that he was the only candidate on the stage who has visited all 254 counties in Texas — and forcefully pushed back several times as he came under fire from Cruz.”

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) “raised nearly $9.1 million online for his Senate bid in August, according to a new campaign finance filing, increasing the pressure on GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in an unexpectedly close race,” Politico reports.

“The online haul puts O’Rourke on pace to have one of the most prolific fundraising quarters of any Senate candidate in history.”

A new Public Policy Policy survey in Texas finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slightly ahead of challenger Beto O’Rourke (D), 48% to 45%.

That’s well within the poll’s 4-point margin of error.

A new Vox Populi poll in Texas finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in a dead heat with challenger Beto O’Rourke (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 50% to 50%.

A new Quinnipiac poll in Texas finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R) leading Beto O’Rourke (D) by nine points among likely voters, 54% to 45%.

Said pollster Peter Brown: “The Texas U.S. Senate race between Cruz and O’Rourke, and Democratic hopes for an upset win there, have boosted talk of a Senate takeover. These numbers may calm that talk.”

Searching for a new wedge issue to use against his opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested that Beto O’Rourke (D) wanted to ban barbecue in Texas, the Austin American Statesman reports.

Said Cruz: “When I got here someone told me that even PETA was protesting and giving out barbecued tofu, so I got to say, they summed up the entire election: If Texas elects a Democrat, they’re going to ban barbecue across the state of Texas.”

He added: “You want to talk about an issue to mobilize the people, and I’m talking everybody. So I want to thank PETA and I do want to tell PETA you’re going to have to disclose to the FEC that by coming and protesting and giving away tofu, that you have given an in-kind contribution to my campaign by demonstrating just how bad things can get.”

“Former President George W. Bush is hosting a series of fundraising events for vulnerable Republican candidates, including a couple of House members facing tough re-election bids in his home state of Texas,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

“Noticeably absent from the list is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican who is facing a surprisingly robust challenge from Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX).”

A new CBS Dallas-Forth Worth/Dixie Strategies poll finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) holds a slim lead over Beto O’Rourke (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 42%.

The differential of four points was within the margin of error of 4.3 points, meaning that the two candidates are statistically tied according to this poll.

“I think he sort of took it for granted. He’s got a dogfight on his hands. I can tell you there’s Beto signs all over my district and there are Beto signs all over deep-red parts of Texas that are unexplainable.”

— Texas state Rep. Lyle Larson (R), quoted by the New York Times, suggesting Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) neglected his re-election race.

Washington Post: “These difficulties have come into sharp focus in Texas, where Cruz is fighting for political survival against O’Rourke, a rising liberal star who is raising record-setting sums of cash and attracting large crowds across a ruby-red state. At the end of June, O’Rourke had close to $14 million cash on hand to Cruz’s $9 million.”

“The tough realities of Texas have prompted an unexpected alliance between Cruz and the Republicans he spent years waging a vendetta against as a senator and as a candidate for president — including Trump and McConnell. The sudden cooperation underscores how much the GOP fears losing Texas.”

“The shock waves are being felt well beyond the state, as its several expensive media markets could force the party to spend money there that it will have to subtract from GOP hopefuls in other battlegrounds. McConnell recently assured Cruz in a private conversation that resources would be there for him.”