James Talarico and Ken Paxton in Dead Heat in Razor Tight Texas Senate Race
Summary
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton are tied at 50% each in a Texas U.S. Senate race, according to a recent poll. This race is one of the closest and most important for the 2026 midterm elections as Democrats aim to win a seat Texas has not given them since 1988.Key Facts
- James Talarico (Democrat) and Ken Paxton (Republican) are tied at 50% in a new poll by Overton Strategies.
- Texas has been a Republican stronghold, and no Democrat has won a Senate seat there since 1988.
- Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary.
- Recent polls mostly show Talarico with a slight lead or a close race.
- Control of the U.S. Senate could be affected by this race in the 2026 midterms.
- The same poll shows a close race for Texas governor between Republican Greg Abbott (51%) and Democrat Gina Hinojosa (49%).
- Both Democratic and Republican parties are expected to invest heavily in these Texas races before Election Day.
- Political analysts rate the Senate race as a tossup, while the governor race is considered likely Republican.
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.