Texas voters are heading to the polls with Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico within the margin of error in the U.S. Senate race, according to recent polling. Paxton is a three-term state attorney general, and Talarico is an Austin state legislator. In the final weeks, both have campaigned across the state and criticized each other's fitness for the office.
The Texas Tribune has reported on several groups both candidates are seeking to win over. These include supporters of Sen. John Cornyn who are still undecided, rural voters frustrated over data centers, Latino voters along the border and suburban voters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Latino voters in South Texas are one trend to watch. In 2024, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential nominee in decades to carry Cameron, Hidalgo and Webb counties. Sen. Ted Cruz narrowly lost all three that year, receiving between 44% and 47% of the vote. Polling in the region suggests the vote may shift back toward Democrats, though reporting says it is unclear by how much.