Democratic Texas state Senator Roland Gutierrez announced on Monday that he will be running for the U.S. Senate in 2024, becoming the second Texas Democrat to challenge Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Gutierrez, who has been a vocal advocate for police accountability and tougher gun laws, launched his campaign with a three-minute video that highlighted his focus on resources for rural Texas and shared his immigrant story. The video also featured parents of children killed in a school massacre who have supported his efforts for accountability following the shooting. Gutierrez"s entry into the race sets up a competitive Democratic primary, with fellow Democrat Colin Allred already raising over $6 million since announcing his candidacy two months ago. Gutierrez, who represents the Uvalde area in central Texas, has been pushing for stricter gun legislation following a school shooting in his district that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. He introduced several bills in the state Senate aimed at preventing future mass shootings, although they did not receive a vote on the floor. Gutierrez also criticized Cruz for leaving Texas during a deadly winter storm earlier this year, calling it "indefensible." Cruz"s spokesman, Nick Maddux, responded by suggesting that the Democratic primary will be a competition to see who can be the "most radical leftist." Texas has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994, but Gutierrez"s campaign appears to be tapping into the growing anger and frustration among Democrats towards Republican leaders in the state. His video emphasized the neglect of rural Texas and the failure of Republican-led systems to keep the state safe. Gutierrez"s strategy is to channel Democratic anger after the Uvalde shooting and rally voters around his campaign by placing blame on Republicans for their inaction on gun control. Gutierrez will face a tough challenge in his attempt to unseat Cruz, who has been in office since 2012 and survived a strong challenge from Beto O"Rourke in 2018. O"Rourke, who came close to defeating Cruz, was unable to secure a victory in the 2022 gubernatorial race against Republican Greg Abbott. However, Gutierrez"s campaign aims to capitalize on the momentum generated by O"Rourke and other Democrats in recent years, and to mobilize voters who are frustrated with Republican leadership in Texas.