Dems plan to make 2024 race against 'cartoon villain' Ted Cruz the most expensive in the nation

The 2024 Senate map is not very promising for Democrats, but they nonetheless plan to make Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) their top target for a pickup opportunity.

In 2018, Cruz narrowly held off a challenge from Beto O'Rourke in a race that he won by just under three percentage points.

And although the odds are still definitely in his favor to win a third term in office, Politico reports that Democrats are planning to make the junior Texas senator sweat it out, especially with Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX), who is also a former NFL linebacker, jumping into the race.

In a statement issued to Politico, Sarah Guggenheimer, spokesperson for the Democratic-controlled Senate Majority PAC, described Cruz as one of three "cartoon villains" that Democrats will be eyeing to beat next year, along with Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

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That said, Democrats seem to think Cruz is the most promising target for an upset of the bunch, and Cruz himself has acknowledged that he's going to be in for a potentially tough fight.

“We are taking the race intensely seriously,” Cruz explained. “Schumer has been explicit that my race is his No. 1 Republican target this next cycle.”

Democrats will also be trying to protect a number of potentially vulnerable incumbents next year, including Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).