Ted Cruz’s Texas victory marks another critical win in the GOP’s path to a Senate majority, setting up a new phase of legislative control.

Sen. Ted Cruz's re-election in Texas defeated Democratic candidate Colin Allred in a fierce and expensive contest. Cruz's triumph helps the Republican Party's effective attempt to retake control of the Senate, which today boasts a 51-seat advantage following resounding GOP wins in Ohio and West Virginia.
Republicans made significant headway with a favorable Senate map, grabbing seats in states like Ohio and West Virginia, where the departure of departing Sen. Joe Manchin created an opening in the usually Republican-leaning state. The GOP kept control in several crucial states while Democrats tried establishing ground in brutal seats, including Texas and Florida.
This win marks a change from the limited Democratic majority maintained in past years and indicates fresh GOP agenda support. The Republican dominance of the Senate will support the legislative projects of the forthcoming government, therefore allowing a conservative change in policy.
As Mitch McConnell gets ready to retire, the power change also set up a Senate leadership fight. The top candidates to inherit as Senate Republican leader are Texas's own Sen. John Cornyn and Minority Whip John Thune.
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has closed the oyster harvesting area TX-5 in Galveston Bay after reef health fell below sustainability thresholds, leaving only two public areas open in the bay as the season continues.
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The Gulf Coast Protection District voted unanimously Jan. 21 to advance preliminary engineering and design work on the long-debated Galveston Bay Barrier System, a $31 billion centerpiece of the broader Coastal Texas Project. Supporters call it critical storm protection; critics question its cost, timeline, and effectiveness.
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A $35 million beach renourishment project on Pensacola Beach is nearing completion, with 1.5 million cubic yards of sand set to be placed along 8.1 miles of shoreline ahead of peak spring tourism. Similar restoration efforts have wrapped up in Galveston, Texas.