Texas voters go to the polls Tuesday in a U.S. Senate race that polls show is within the margin of error. Republican Ken Paxton, a three-term state attorney general, and Democrat James Talarico, an Austin state legislator, spent the final weeks traveling across the state. Both have tried to turn out their supporters and win over skeptical voters, and each has described the other as unfit for the job, according to The Texas Tribune.
The Tribune reports that both campaigns have courted several groups, including supporters of Sen. John Cornyn who have not yet decided, rural voters frustrated over data centers, Latino voters along the border, and suburban voters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
One trend the Tribune says it will watch is whether Latino voters, especially in South Texas, shift back toward Democrats. In 2024, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential nominee in decades to carry Cameron, Hidalgo and Webb counties. Polling in the region suggests the pendulum may swing back to the left, but the Tribune says the open question is by how much.