Polygraph

In the 2018 Senate cycle, Ted Cruz was leading Beto O'Rourke by six points at this point in the cycle.

Posted by Louder with Crowder, Checked

Polygraph verdictMixed
Sources
2 contradict2 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
55%
Louder with CrowderAug 19, 2026
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53 claimsThe check →

The claim's six-point Cruz lead matches a Quinnipiac poll that the El Paso Times (Aug. 22, 2018) says gave Cruz a 6-point lead earlier that month. But the NBC/Marist poll released the same week showed Cruz up only 4, so the figure depends on which August poll is used.

A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.

Our two reads of who says this, and how, disagree, so it counts as the post's own claim.

What was said

… Because just take a look here: this polling looks so much different than it did eight years ago. You take a look here, James Salario, the latest poll against Kent Huckney, he's actually up by three points. Look at where the race was between Beto O'roourke and Ted Cruz at this point in the 2018 cycle. Ted Cruz was a hit by six. This is very different. The Democrat here is doing nine points better. And what is supercharging that? Look at this: independence moved from tie to plus 39 points for James Talarico. …
Louder with Crowder · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. The NBC/Marist poll released Aug. 22, 2018 showed Cruz leading O'Rourke by 4 points (49% to 45%), so the same period's polling does not uniformly show a 6-point lead.[2][3]

Supports. The El Paso Times reports that a Quinnipiac University poll gave Cruz a 6-point lead over O'Rourke in early August 2018.[3]

Context. Earlier 2018 polls showed smaller Cruz leads or near ties, including a Quinnipiac poll at 3 points in April and a Civiqs poll at 2 points in July, so the six-point figure is one reading within a range of competing estimates.[1][4]

Sources

4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 not rated, 1 tier 2

  1. 1Is Ted Cruz leading Beto O'Rourke by 2 percentage points?politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
  2. 2Ted Cruz leads Beto O'Rourke by 4 points, according to ...texastribune.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
  3. 3Ted Cruz leads Beto O'Rourke by only 4 points in poll of Texas' US Senate raceelpasotimes.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports
  4. 4Texas Senate poll: Beto O'Rourke 3 points behind Ted Cruz | Voxvox.com · tier 2 · cited for: context

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