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CNN Analyst: 'Unfortunately' for Dems, Majority of Polls Show O'Rourke Losing to Cruz

(Updated)

September 21, 2018

CNN senior writer and analyst Harry Enten lamented Friday how most polls show Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) losing in his bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), calling the polling "unfortunate" for Democrats.

Enten appeared on CNN's show "New Day" to discuss the Senate race in Texas, where Democrats are enthusiastic about the prospect of O'Rourke upsetting Cruz in the deep-red Lone Star State.

Host John Berman noted that some of the polls show the race tightening and that Democrats have so much hope in this race. He also showed on screen, however, a recent Quinnipiac University poll that shows Cruz leading O'Rourke by nine points, 54 percent to 45 percent.

"If liberal hopes could drive a Senate campaign to victory, Beto O'Rourke would be winning by 40 points," Enten said. "Unfortunately, the vast majority of the polls do show him losing."

Enten referenced the Quinnipiac poll and added that other polls have the race closer.

"But pretty much all of them show Ted Cruz still leading," he said, adding that Latino voters, who tend not to show up in big numbers in midterm elections, are crucial for O'Rourke to have a chance.

"There's no sign in the polling so far that they will in fact turn out in 2018," Enten said of Latino voters.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls has, through Monday, Cruz leading by 4.5 percentage points.

UPDATE: Saturday, 8 P.M.: This article was updated to show Enten meant that the polling was unfortunate for Democrats, instead of unfortunate overall.