There’s an air of familiarity to Texas’ 2024 Senate race, where once again a charismatic and well-funded three-term House Democrat is aiming to upset polarizing Sen. Ted Cruz.

Democratic and Republican operatives acknowledge plenty of similarities between the state’s looming Senate showdown and the high-profile 2018 rumble that pitted Cruz against former Rep. Beto O’Rourke. But both parties insist this race comes with a whole host of new dynamics — and everyone believes that their side stands to benefit.

Democrats have been perennially lured onto Texas’ expensive terrain by the siren song of demographic change and suburban growth. And though they hope 2024 will be the year they finally crack the code, doing so with a noisy presidential race atop the ticket will be a far more difficult feat than in a midterm cycle.

The Democratic establishment is largely (if unofficially) unified behind Rep. Colin Allred, a 40-year-old Black Dallas civil rights attorney with a unique background and proven ability to raise mountainous sums of money. Yet it remains uncertain whether Allred can replicate the wave of grassroots enthusiasm that

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