Nov 3, 2026
Texas - United States Senate
⭐ This is one of seven races that will determine control of the Senate! Get caught up ↓
James Talarico
Democrat - Age: 37
Texas state representative since 2018 and former middle-school teacher. Degrees from UT Austin and Harvard.
Campaign website →
Ken Paxton
Republican - Age: 63
Attorney General of Texas since 2015, after serving in the Texas House and Senate. Beat Sen. Cornyn in the primary.
Campaign website →
Who's ahead?
CookTOSS-UPSabatoTOSS-UPDDHQTOSS-UP
Ratings: Cook Political Report (Aug 20), Sabato’s Crystal Ball (Aug 26), Decision Desk HQ (Aug 5). Source →
Talarico
47
Paxton
46
Where they stand
Tap a topic — including today's big ones.
TALARICO SAYS
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PAXTON SAYS
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Money & campaign finance
Where each candidate stands on campaign-finance questions.
TALARICO
PAXTON
Unknown
Ban Congress from trading stocks
Unknown
No
Takes corporate PAC money
Unknown
Sources: Talarico: no corporate PACs (Texas Tribune)
Fundraising
RAISEDCASH ON HANDUNDER-$200 DONORS
James Talarico
$68.6M$21.5M54% of receipts
Ken Paxton
$9.2M$1.8M19% of receipts
Campaign committee totals for the 2025–26 cycle, through June 30, 2026. Under-$200 share is unitemized individual contributions divided by total receipts. FEC filings →
Their big promises
TALARICO'S TOP 3
Corruption & democracy
Stronger ethics rules, transparency for officeholders, and protecting Texans' access to the ballot.
Taxes & cost of living
Property-tax relief for homeowners and capping rising grocery, housing, and healthcare costs.
Public education
A former public-school teacher; supports raising teacher pay and increasing per-student funding.
PAXTON'S TOP 3
Supporting Trump's agenda
Aligned with the administration on border security, energy production, and federal spending cuts.
Taking on Big Food and Big Pharma
Lower prescription-drug costs and curb harmful additives in the food supply.
Border security
Continued state and federal funding for border-enforcement operations.
Agree or differ?
Lower prescription drug prices
Both support it — a rare shared priority
Property tax relief for homeowners
Both back it
New federal emissions mandates
Talarico: supports · Paxton: opposes, prioritizes oil and gas production
School vouchers
Talarico: the ex-teacher is a leading voucher opponent · Paxton: champions school choice
Was the 2020 election legitimate?
Talarico: yes · Paxton: sued to overturn the results in four states
Their stories
JAMES TALARICO
1989Born in Austin; raised by a single mom in Round Rock.
2010sTaught middle school on San Antonio's West Side; later studied at Harvard and in seminary.
2018Elected to the Texas House at 29; helped pass the 2019 school-finance overhaul.
2025Became a national figure through viral videos on faith and politics.
2026Won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
KEN PAXTON
2002Elected to the Texas House from McKinney; later to the Texas Senate.
2015Became Attorney General of Texas.
2020Led the lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to overturn election results in four states.
2023Impeached by the GOP-led Texas House over corruption allegations; acquitted by the Senate.
2026Defeated Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary.
The backstory
Positions summarized from campaign websites, voting records, and news reports · July 2026
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