James Talarico leads Ken Paxton in Texas Senate race polls

Published 2d ago · Latest report 1h ago · Election

Affects United States · Covered in 2 countries

AI summary39s readNeutral

James Talarico holds a narrow polling lead over Ken Paxton in the costly Texas Senate contest.

Recent polling indicates Texas state Representative James Talarico holds a slight advantage over Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state Senate contest. Talarico skipped a rally with Senator Bernie Sanders to court moderate voters and announced a record quarterly fundraising haul of $64 million. The high-profile matchup has seen massive campaign spending and intense public attention.

The fundraisingJames Talarico raised $64 million during the third quarter of 2026.
The strategyTalarico avoided appearing at a rally with Bernie Sanders to appeal to moderate voters.
The spendingCombined advertising expenditures in the contest have surpassed $500 million.

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Why it matters

The Texas Senate race is one of the most expensive and closely contested legislative battles in the country, drawing national attention as Democrats attempt to capture a seat in a traditionally Republican stronghold.

Timeline3

Oct 12James Talarico posted a video leaving a phone message for Ken Paxton to challenge him to a debate.
Oct 14Polling figures showed Talarico leading Paxton, and Talarico confirmed he would skip a Bernie Sanders rally.
Oct 15Talarico announced a record-setting quarterly campaign fundraising haul.

By the numbers2

$500combined ads spending

$64Mthird-quarter fundraising haul

How outlets cover it