James Talarico Leads Ken Paxton in Tight Texas Senate Race

Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, James Talarico, narrowly leads Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the El Paso Times.

Barbara Bush, former first daughter, contributed $2,500 to Lone Star Rising PAC, which supports Talarico's campaign. The PAC accounts for almost all outside spending supporting Talarico, according to Houston Public Media. Don Henley of The Eagles gave $150,000 to the PAC. Talarico skipped a Monday night rally in El Paso headlined by Senator Bernie Sanders, instead holding campaign events hundreds of miles away in North Texas.

Sanders, former Representative Beto O'Rourke, and Representatives Greg Casar and Veronica Escobar used the El Paso event to promote Talarico's Senate bid. O'Rourke stated that $368 million has been spent against Talarico. Talarico held a rally at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth as part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" campaign tour. Talarico targeted Paxton and billionaire Elon Musk over the influence of wealthy donors in the Texas Senate race.

A University of Houston poll shows Talarico holding a slim lead in the Senate race. Talarico has had an advantage in polls since August. President Donald Trump won Texas by 14 points in 2024, supported in large part by the Latino vote and anti-Kamala Harris sentiment. Latinos are shifting back to the left, and Democrats have a much stronger candidate on the ballot in a midterm election.

Talarico has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2018. Talarico raised a record $64 million in three months, totaling $134 million since launching his Senate campaign. Paxton raised $18 million in the latest quarter. Elon Musk threw $158 million into a last-ditch attempt to rescue Paxton's campaign, following a $10 million gift in August from the "Elon Musk Revocable Trust" to a political action committee closely tied to Paxton.

Donald Trump endorsed Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn, stating Cornyn wasn’t particularly loyal to me. No Democrat has won a Senate race in Texas since 1988. Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, preaches a compassionate, liberal Christianity on the campaign trail. A secret underground club of Texas suburban women threatens to kneecap Ken Paxton.