So much for sports bringing people together.
Harris County Democratic Party precinct chairs Bill Kelly and Charles Kuffner are behind a resolution that proposes banning U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from attending Texas sporting events.
Yes, you read that correctly. Democrats don’t want Cruz at Texas sporting events.
They say he’s bad luck.
Kelly and Kuffner jointly authored the resolution, which targets Cruz’s presence particularly at games involving the state’s colleges and universities.
“The University of Houston and Texas Tech have a pretty good rivalry between the Cougs and the Red Raiders,” Kelly, a Houston alum, told local affiliate Chron.
“We don’t agree on much, but we all agree that the nine scariest words for any college fan are, ‘I’m Ted Cruz, and I’m coming to your game.’”
Cruz’s appearances at games continue to be contentious for Texas sports fans who’ve dubbed the trend of his frequent sightings at games where the home teams coincidentally lose, “The Cruz Curse.”
University of Houston Cougar fans were the most recent victims after the Texas senator was spotted at the NCAA men’s national championship game.
The Cougars held a 12-point lead during the second half but lost by just two points to the Florida Gators.
“That was one of the first things people pointed to after the game,” Kelly said.
“It’s a problem. He needs to quit going to college games in Texas.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has made an appearance at the Final Four championship game, despite fans claiming that when the Texas senator attends the game for the team he is rooting for, they are "cursed" and lose the game. https://t.co/GkI0hwmUqz pic.twitter.com/ZclHt8dMhh
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) April 8, 2025
Cruz’s record with notable losses is difficult to ignore for some fans as a growing pattern. The senator was there to witness Texas lose to Washington at the 2024 Sugar Bowl, and when Texas Tech’s men’s hoops lost the national title in 2019 to Virginia.
In response to the resolution, the Harris County GOP informed Chron that the proposal reflects how “out of touch” the Harris County Democratic Party is with the actual challenges facing the community.
A Cruz spokesperson stated that the resolution was “dishonest and partisan clickbait.”
“Ted has been attending Texas sports games his entire life,” the spokesperson said.
“When they win, he’s there. When they lose, he’s there. When Texas Democrats lose, he’s almost always there.”