HOUSTON — Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico delivered their closing pitches to Texas voters on Saturday, clashing sharply in the final stretch of an unexpectedly competitive U.S. Senate race that could help determine control of the upper chamber.
Campaigning in Houston, Talarico framed Paxton, the state’s longtime attorney general, as a symbol of self-serving governance. “This election is about whether you want a senator who puts money in your pocket or who puts money in his own,” Talarico told supporters, as reported by ABC News. Paxton, who has previously faced impeachment and indictment before securing President Donald Trump’s endorsement, campaigned in Fort Worth. He sought to tie Talarico, a state representative and former teacher, to national Democrats and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, warning that “the left in this country keeps getting more and more radical.”
A Narrow Margin in the Polls
The race has evolved into one of the closest Texas Senate contests in decades. A Quantus Insights survey of 1,221 likely voters conducted Oct. 26 to 28 placed Paxton narrowly ahead at 48.7 percent compared to 47.6 percent for Talarico, with 2.2 percent undecided, FOX 7 Austin reported. That result fell within the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. According to the poll, Talarico held advantages among women, independents and Hispanic voters, while Paxton led among men, suburban voters and rural residents.
Other data show an equally tight battle. Polling averages compiled by MS NOW partner FiftyPlusOne showed Talarico with a 3.5-point edge in the race’s final days. Talarico has also made major efforts to consolidate the Democratic base following a bruising primary fight against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. According to MS NOW, a Texas Politics Project survey showed Talarico’s support among Black voters climbed from 67 percent earlier in the year to 79 percent in October, bolstered by a $25 million voter outreach initiative.
High Stakes for the Senate Majority
Republicans enter the final stretch holding a 53-47 Senate majority, ABC News reported. For Democrats to reclaim the chamber, they must pick up at least four seats, or five if they fail to defend an open seat in Michigan, where Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers. Talarico has emphasized the scale of the financial opposition he faces, highlighting that tech billionaire Elon Musk has spent more than $150 million to aid Paxton’s campaign. Talarico described the battle to supporters as “David vs. Goliath.”
Paxton, meanwhile, has warned his supporters of sweeping consequences if Texas flips to Democrats, telling an audience on Saturday, “if we lose Texas, we lose America.”
National Figures Mobilize in Closing Hours
Trump took a pause from his in-person rally schedule on Saturday, dialing into virtual campaign sessions with voters across several battlegrounds, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, according to his MAGA Inc. super PAC. Trump is scheduled to resume in-person stops Sunday in Iowa and Kansas.
At the same time, congressional leaders fanned out across crucial districts. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared in Virginia to rally support for Democratic candidate Elaine Luria, while House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned in Michigan, casting the midterm contest as a fundamental ideological confrontation.
Across the country, early voting was approaching 50 million ballots heading into the weekend, according to ABC News. In Texas, where polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the remaining unknown is whether Talarico can deliver the first Democratic Senate victory in the state since 1988 or if Paxton will hold the line for the Republican majority.
