James Talarico Leads Texas Race
Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico leads as Democrats boost his campaign against Ken Paxton.
What happened
James Talarico is leading Ken Paxton in multiple recent Texas Senate polls, including a Texas Public Opinion Research survey showing Talarico ahead 49% to 44%. Talarico, a Democratic state representative and former teacher, is trying to unseat the Republican attorney general in a race Democrats hope could flip a long-held GOP seat. His campaign is raising his profile through outside help and media moments, including a Bill Nye video and a Glenn Rogers endorsement ad. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is starting Texas Forever, a Democratic PAC to help him. Talarico has challenged Paxton to a Fox News debate. The next test is whether Paxton engages directly.
From the left
Left-leaning accounts framed the race as a sudden Republican vulnerability rooted in Paxton’s baggage and GOP primary choices. Raw Story cast Paxton as a scandal-weakened MAGA nominee, using “biblical” infighting to describe the risk around his candidacy. MS NOW emphasized Talarico pressing for a Fox News debate, portraying Paxton as avoiding accountability. Daily Kos treated the drag-queen attack as a culture-war smear that backfired.
From the right
Only one right-leaning outlet we track covered this: Washington Examiner, under the headline “Schumer launches new PAC to boost James Talarico's chances in Texas”.
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