Texas Senate race neck‑and‑neck between Ken Paxton and James Talarico

Texas Democrats convened in Corpus Christi to rally support for Senate candidate James Talarico, emphasizing the need to win over Black voters who backed Jasmine Crockett in the primary. At the same time, a new Texas Politics Project poll shows incumbent Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton leading Talarico by a razor‑thin margin—43% to 42%—with a 3.5‑point margin of error. The survey, conducted with 1,200 registered voters, notes strong backing for Paxton among Republicans (84%) after his runoff victory over John Cornyn, while Talarico retains leads among women, younger voters, Hispanics and a large share of Black voters. Both campaigns are targeting independents and moderates ahead of the November election, aware that the race could determine which party holds the Texas Senate seat and influence Senate control at the national level.