Story perspectives

Poll Shows James Talarico Leading Ken Paxton 51-49

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 2:06 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

A CBS News poll (Oct. 8-16) shows James Talarico leading Ken Paxton 51% to 49%.
AdImpact reports $544.5 million total ad spend, $386.3 million for Paxton, the costliest non-presidential race.
Talarico’s El Paso rally at the University of Texas drew applause and condemned a $200 million Elon Musk donation to Paxton.
Paxton’s “Come and Take It” tour stopped at The Big Texan in Amarillo, then he rallied in Lubbock with President Donald Trump.

History

Historical Context

During the 2016 presidential race, Wall Street poured a record $2 billion into ads while Donald Trump leveraged massive free media and online outreach to win Texas by an 8.99% margin, securing 36 of the state’s 38 electoral votes. The election’s unprecedented ad spending and Trump’s digital strategy set a precedent for the high-cost, donor-driven battles now echoing in today’s Texas House contests.

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Story summary

A CBS News poll (Oct. 8-16) shows James Talarico leading Ken Paxton 51% to 49%.
AdImpact reports $544.5 million total ad spend, $386.3 million for Paxton, the costliest non-presidential race.
Talarico’s El Paso rally at the University of Texas drew applause and condemned a $200 million Elon Musk donation to Paxton.
Paxton’s “Come and Take It” tour stopped at The Big Texan in Amarillo, then he rallied in Lubbock with President Donald Trump.

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