Cruz, O’Rourke prepare for second debate

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Democrat Beto O’Rourke is hoping to reverse polls showing him fading against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the second debate of a Texas Senate race that’s become one of the nation’s most-watched.

O’Rourke is giving up his El Paso congressional seat to challenge Cruz and shattered Senate fundraising records with an astounding $38-plus million in the three months through September.

Polls that once showed O’Rourke staying close to a monumental upset in deep red Texas now suggest Cruz is pulling away.

Cruz kept O’Rourke on the defensive when they debated last month in Dallas, and O’Rourke, who had maintained a feel-good message, has promised a sharper tone Tuesday night in San Antonio.

It’s the race’s last scheduled debate after one in Houston was canceled amid votes Senate floor votes.