Texans Vote in Record Senate Race Pitting Paxton Against Talarico
Texas voters chose Tuesday between Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico for an open Senate seat. Polls showed Talarico leading.
7 points: Talarico's lead over Paxton in late-breaking polls.
$158 million from Elon Musk flowed to a PAC backing Paxton.
1994 was the last time a Democrat won statewide office in Texas.
Paxton ousted Sen. John Cornyn in a May runoff after Trump endorsed him.
Why it matters: The race tests whether voters will look past Paxton's legal history in a state Trump carried easily. Democrats need to net four seats to win the Senate.
The Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023, and the state Senate acquitted him.
Voter frustration over prices and the war with Iran has hurt Republicans.
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Political Bias
Coverage by lean% of 17 sources
17 sources · 25 articles · 35% Left coverage
Where they split: The two sides disagree on whether the central issue is Paxton's ethics and Musk's money or Talarico's past statements on faith and gender.
Center coverage, 6 sources: The center frames it as the cycle's marquee race and gives the candidates' records and the polling without much commentary.
Right coverage, 5 sources: The right's coverage centers on Republican anxiety and an energized Democratic base, and Newsweek adds warnings of a possible Trump challenge.
