The Texas Senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R) and Rep. Beto O'Rourke Beto O'RourkeJimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' 2020 Democrats do convention Zoom call MORE (D) has been shifted in the Democrat's direction by the Cook Political Report, a major nonpartisan election handicapper.

Cook shifted the race from its “likely Republican” column to “lean Republican” on Friday, stating that recent polling suggests a tighter race.

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Earlier this week, a Texas Lyceum poll released Wednesday showed the race between the two is neck and neck, with Cruz leading O'Rourke 41 percent to 39 percent among likely voters.

Cook also noted a Gravis Marketing (R)(IVR) poll from early July that showed Cruz with a 9-point lead over O'Rourke, 51-42 percent.

Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in three decades, but the party thinks it has a chance to pull off an upset with O'Rourke, who raised more than $10.4 million in his second fundraising quarter.

Cruz, who ran for president in 2016 and tangled with President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE during the campaign, reportedly raised $4 million over the same period of time, which brought him to $10 million in cash-on-hand, according to the Houston Chronicle.