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Six years after Beto O’Rourke’s electrifying Senate campaign set the standard for Texas Democrats seeking statewide office, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is taking a completely different approach in his own bid to oust U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Allred, a third-term Dallas congressman, has been far less visible on the campaign trail, opting for events with smaller and more curated audiences in the major cities and select suburbs, rather than the casual town hall-style rallies O’Rourke held in every corner of the state. And instead of O’Rourke’s unapologetic liberal stands which activated legions of young voters, Allred has adopted a more calibrated message aimed at winning over moderates. He’s running ads that portray him as “tough” on the border and willing to work across the aisle, while keeping his distance from his party’s standard-bearers, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Allred’s sharp divergence from O’Rourke’s more active and freewheeling style has stirred dissent and even signs of panic among a segment of Texas Democratic activists who say Allred should be holding more rallies, small-dollar fundraisers, and other publicly accessible events. The more buttoned-up approach, they argue, is unlikely to inspire the sort of grassroots energy that helped O’Rourke build a juggernaut volunteer turnout operation and come within three points of ending Texas Democrats’ statewide drought.

“I’m going to vote for him as the nominee but don’t really feel compelled to do anything else for him,” said Jen Ramos, a member of the Texas Democratic Party’s governing executive committee, who warned that Allred is taking his base for granted by catering to moderate voters and showing tepid support for Harris.

“It’s very much taking advantage of a base that exists,” Ramos said. “The opportunity to mobilize and engage a base is there, but the fact that he hasn’t done so, it just feels short-sighted.”

Cruz, meanwhile, has blasted Allred for “hiding in his basement” and accused the Dallas Democrat of trying to conceal a liberal record that belies the moderate image he is trying to project.

Allred’s allies note this is a different election than O’Rourke’s 2018 midterm fight. His was the marquee race that year, while Allred will benefit from Democratic turnout driven by the presidential election and his base’s contempt for former President Donald Trump — freeing up Allred to focus more on swing voters who could decide a close election, his supporters argue.