Ted Cruz Was Already Losing Support in Texas Before Backlash over Cancun Trip

The controversy engulfing Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his trip to Cancun comes after signs he was already losing support in Texas.

Photos of Cruz traveling to Mexico went viral earlier this week as he embarked on the trip amid crises posed by the winter storm in his home state. Backlash mounted ahead of Cruz confirming the photos were of him in a statement, and criticism has persisted since.

After returning to Texas, Cruz continues to face scrutiny—with protesters calling for his resignation and editorials in the state taking issue with his actions. He is also facing new critical ads focused on the trip.

Cruz has said the trip was "obviously a mistake" and that "in hindsight" he would not have gone.

As Cruz faces this fresh backlash, it comes after previous signs of Texans taking issue with him.

Several newspaper editorials previously called for his resignation following his objections to the Electoral College results and questioning of election integrity. These stances were drawn into question after the violence at the Capitol on January 6. His positions were criticized by adversaries as encouragement to supporters of President Donald Trump who engaged in the chaos, as they questioned the presidential election outcome. Cruz has condemned the violence and rejected the suggestion his actions contributed to its outbreak.

With Cruz having faced these resignation calls as well as the suggestion he be censured, previous polling also showed his support having dipped in Texas.

An approval tracker from Morning Consult put Cruz's approval among Republicans in Texas at 76 percent, based on polling from January 9 to 18. This was down five points, from having been at 81 percent from comparable polling conducted December 27 to January 5. His approval rating among all voters in the state also dipped, according to Morning Consult, from 48 percent approval to 45 percent approval between the two points. Morning Consult's data was taken from responses from more than 2,000 registered voters in Texas.

Following the Cancun trip, Google search traffic for when Cruz's seat will be up for re-election has spiked. This is still some way off, with his spot in the Senate due to be contested in 2024. He won re-election in 2018, narrowly defeating Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke—who has been among those to question Cruz's Cancun visit.

Cruz has also been mentioned among names for a potential presidential run next time out, however he is not one of the favorites in polling regarding the potential GOP nomination.

Newsweek has contacted Cruz's office for comment.