Story perspectives

Poll Shows Democrat Talarico Leads Texas Senate Race

8/9/2026

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Talarico Leads

A Texas Pulse poll released August 7, 2026 shows Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race.
The campaign is framed as a fight over economic inequality, with Talarico highlighting affordability and accusing billionaire donors of undue influence.
Fundraising reports list Talarico’s total at about $72 million versus Paxton’s roughly $17 million.
Paxton’s campaign faces criticism for past impeachment over donor misconduct and a dismissed securities-fraud case.

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Talarico Leads

August 2026 polls show Democrat James Talarico holding a narrow lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race.
Paxton argues the poll is misleading, citing Talarico’s controversial remarks about gender and God and his heavy out-of-state fundraising.
Fox News poll: 59% of Texans worry about Paxton’s character, 47% deem Talarico too extreme.
FEC filings show Talarico raised $31.6 million (?50% out-of-state) and Paxton $9.3 million (?25% out-of-state).

Center

Talarico Leads

An August 2026 poll shows Democrat James Talarico ahead of Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race.
The margin stems from strong independent-voter backing, and both campaigns accuse each other of voter-registration violations.
Independent voters favored Talarico 53% to 30%, a 23-point swing since June.
The poll recorded Talarico at 47% and Paxton at 43% with a 4.7-point error margin.

History

Historical Context

The 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, removed limits on corporate and union independent expenditures, enabling super-PACs and raising non-partisan outside spending to $4.5 billion by 2020. Research links the decision to higher Republican win rates, a pattern reflected in the 2024 Texas Senate contest between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, each drawing multi-million-dollar out-of-state donors.

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Talarico Leads

A Texas Pulse poll released August 7, 2026 shows Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race.
The campaign is framed as a fight over economic inequality, with Talarico highlighting affordability and accusing billionaire donors of undue influence.
Fundraising reports list Talarico’s total at about $72 million versus Paxton’s roughly $17 million.
Paxton’s campaign faces criticism for past impeachment over donor misconduct and a dismissed securities-fraud case.

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