Money and debate chops weren’t enough to unseat Cruz. Bradford Holland, the immediate past chair of the McLennan County Republican Party, said the win means that Texans held fast against “outside-of-Texas money” and have shown the state to be “solidly red.”

In the already unprecedented 2024 election, early voting numbers are yet another factor causing chaos as the race comes to a head. With far fewer overall early voters but far more in-person early votes, the 2024 election continues to surprise voters.

“It’s really important to do stuff like this,” Hankins said. “This is a good platform for us to show Jesus to others, especially to the kids that might not have the opportunity to get toys on Christmas.”

“We don’t need to worry about what’s going to happen to our democracy, because the end of all things is the reign of God over all people and over this land,” Baksa said. “That’s what we have to look forward to — not the victory of one candidate or another.”