Politics · November 3, 2026
Paxton and Talarico close their Senate campaigns on home turf
Part of: Texas Senate: Paxton vs. Talarico →FreeGet stories like this compared, every morning at 7.
In the final days of the 2026 midterms, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic State Representative James Talarico held closing campaign events in their respective home bases of Collin County and Travis County. The race has become uncharacteristically competitive, challenging the Republican Party's three-decade winning streak in Texas statewide elections. Paxton, who defeated incumbent John Cornyn in the primary with President Trump's endorsement, is emphasizing the high stakes for the state's conservative identity, while Talarico is utilizing a populist, faith-based message to mobilize voters in Democratic strongholds.
Read the original coverage
- Texas TribuneMBFC: Left-Center
Paxton and Talarico close their Senate campaigns on home turf
Read at Texas Tribune ↗ - ABC NewsMBFC: Left-Center
Republicans' grip on Texas is on the line in a close US Senate race between Paxton, Talarico
Read at ABC News ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
- James Talarico is the Democratic nominee challenging Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat.
- Republicans have not lost a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years.
- Ken Paxton held a campaign event at Matt’s Rancho Martinez in Collin County on the final evening of the campaign.
- James Talarico held a campaign event in Austin to close his campaign.
Reported by only some outlets
- Texas Tribune reports James Talarico's final event was at a concert venue with approximately 1,800 supporters.
- ABC News notes that President Trump easily carried Texas two years prior to this election.
- ABC News mentions that Senate Republican leaders previously expressed concerns that Paxton would be vulnerable due to past scandals.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
emphasize the 'nerve-wracking' nature of the race for Republicans and highlight the potential end of a 32-year 'unbeaten streak' while portraying Talarico as a 'kind' of savior for the Democratic party.
Where coverage diverges
Single-perspective coverage; cross-spectrum comparison limited.
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