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Paxton Leads Talarico by 1% in June Poll

6/24/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A June poll shows Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton edging Democrat James Talarico by one percentage point.
The poll conducted June 5-12 gave Paxton 43% and Talarico 42% support.
Republican voters’ backing for Paxton rose from 63% in April to 84% in the June poll.
Among independents, 40% favored Talarico, 12% favored Paxton, and 34% were undecided.
A SoCal Strategies poll on June 21 showed Paxton at 49% and Talarico at 47%.

History

Historical Context

After decades of Democratic attorneys general, Republicans broke the pattern when Greg Abbott won 56.7% of the vote in 2002. Ken Paxton’s 2018 re-election came by a 3.56% margin, underscoring the office’s growing competitiveness, and a June 2024 poll now shows him trailing Democrat James Talarico by a single point.

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Story summary

A June poll shows Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton edging Democrat James Talarico by one percentage point.
The poll conducted June 5-12 gave Paxton 43% and Talarico 42% support.
Republican voters’ backing for Paxton rose from 63% in April to 84% in the June poll.
Among independents, 40% favored Talarico, 12% favored Paxton, and 34% were undecided.
A SoCal Strategies poll on June 21 showed Paxton at 49% and Talarico at 47%.

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