Talarico Leads Paxton 51%-48% in Texas Senate Poll as GOP Divisions Dent Republicans
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 30
Talarico Leads Paxton 51%-48% in Texas Senate Poll as GOP Divisions Dent Republicans
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 30
Summary
A Fox News poll of 1,006 Texas registered voters puts Democrat James Talarico ahead of Republican Ken Paxton 51%-48%, with Talarico’s edge widening to 53%-47% among extremely motivated and highly interested voters.
GOP slippage is central to the result: only 89% of Republicans back Paxton, including 24% of non-MAGA Republicans crossing to Talarico, while Democrats are more energized by 7 points and more interested by 6.
Character concerns also weigh on Paxton, with 59% saying he lacks the character to serve versus 47% who say Talarico is too extreme; Paxton’s personal rating is -6, while Talarico’s is +6.
Inflation dominates the race, cited by nearly 4 in 10 voters as their top Senate issue, and Texans say by more than 2 to 1 that they are falling behind financially rather than getting ahead.
The findings underscore how competitive Texas looks despite Trump’s nearly 14-point 2024 win there; his rating has since flipped to 45% favorable and 54% unfavorable in the state.