SUGAR HILL, Georgia — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) described the upcoming Senate runoff election as a “turnout election,” saying Sunday after a campaign event that the election outcome boils down to whether Republicans will show up to the polls January 5.
Cruz, speaking to reporters after giving an impassioned speech at the final stop of Club for Growth Action’s “Save America Tour” Sunday afternoon at the Bowl at Sugar Hill, said that given the expectedly strong early voting numbers in counties that typically favor Democrats, “it all comes down to turnout” on election day on Tuesday.
“What I just told this crowd and what I think is the best answer for Tuesday is the best answer is to win by a big enough margin that nobody can steal it, and so this is a turnout election at this point,” Cruz said.
He acknowledged that “there’s a massive Democratic turnout operation” but said he has “faith and confidence in the men and women of Georgia.”
Asked if he believes the notion that some Republicans may boycott the general election results by refusing to vote in the runoffs, Cruz responded, “I actually don’t think that that is going to be a serious problem.” He continued:
I recognize there have been some people talking about it. To be honest, most of the people talking about folks staying home because they were unhappy about the presidential race, most of them politically are rooting for the Democrats to win. I haven’t heard one actual conservative in Georgia or anywhere else who’s suggested it would be a good thing to hand the United States Senate over to Chuck Schumer and the radical left.
Some reporters pressed Cruz on Sunday’s news of leaked audio of a phone call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger in which Trump, citing alleged voter fraud, asked Raffensberger to “find” enough votes to make up for the approximately 12,000 votes Trump would have needed to win the state.
Another reporter questioned whether Cruz had evidence that voter fraud occurred in the general election after Cruz announced Saturday that he and several other senators and senators-elect would oppose the electoral college results in disputed states on January 6, when Congress is slated to certify those results.
Cruz repeatedly responded that his focus was on Georgia. At one point, Cruz said he would do media interviews about the topic of voter fraud after January 5. “That’s a topic to worry about in Washington,” Cruz said. “What matters here in Georgia, and what I’m focused on on this trip, is two elections that are on the ballot on Tuesday, and so the questions that I’m gonna take today concern those two elections.”
Nevertheless, reporters persisted by following Cruz as he concluded taking questions:
Cruz has made several stops in the Peach State to campaign for Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) in the leadup to the runoffs, urging Republicans statewide to vote to protect the Senate majority.
“I think the answer if you’re unhappy about [the general election] is not to stay home but show up, bring your friends, bring your family, and end up with a big victory Tuesday night. I hope that’s what we’re gonna see.”
Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com.