A group of Republicans from Runaway Bay, recruited by their mayor, traveled 70 minutes Saturday to a Fort Worth warehouse to support Republican Ken Paxton. About 100 people attended, and speakers warned of a "last stand for liberty" in Texas and the "Western world." Steve Holt, a banker from Runaway Bay, said the race is a very serious situation.
A Talarico rally in Houston later that day drew 1,900 people at the Bayou Music Center. Supporters Donavon Williams and Ashley Whitfield wore Halloween costumes dressed as trash, with the names of Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott on their garbage bags. Williams said many first-time voters are tired of Republicans blaming Democrats for problems.
Paxton, the state attorney general, is appealing to conservatives. Talarico, an Austin state representative, is seeking a broader coalition. At the Fort Worth event, state Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, told Republicans to "block out the noise." Both campaigns are working to turn enthusiasm into votes on Tuesday.