Texas
Ken Paxton — indicted on state securities fraud charges in 2015, impeached by his own party in 2023, and the subject of a since-closed federal corruption probe — narrowly knocked off a sitting senator to win the GOP nomination. Talarico is still massively outraising him, but the polling has tightened into a near dead heat since the primary. Texas hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. This is now the most competitive race in the state in a generation — real money still moves this one.
Talarico (D)
Undecided 10%
Paxton (R)
RealClearPolitics polling average, early July 2026
You're joining 861 people who picked Texas so far.
Know the opponent
Who is Ken Paxton?
- Indicted by a Texas grand jury in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges; the case was resolved in 2025 only after Paxton agreed to restitution, ethics training, and community service — without admitting guilt.
- Impeached by his own Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 on 20 articles covering bribery, abuse of office, and obstruction; acquitted by the state Senate.
- A judge ordered Paxton's office to pay $6.6 million after ruling he illegally fired four aides for reporting him to the FBI.
- His wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in mid-2025 citing adultery — nearly two years after being required to sit through his impeachment trial.
- Led the failed lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election and spoke at the rally that preceded the January 6 Capitol riot.
- Even Tim Dunn, his own party's longtime megadonor who stood by him through the indictment and impeachment, refused to fund this Senate campaign.
Sourced from Wikipedia, ProPublica/Texas Tribune, ABC News, and Texas Tribune reporting, 2025–2026.
Meet Talarico
The teacher taking on Texas' most scandal-plagued politician
James Talarico taught sixth-grade English on San Antonio's West Side — one of the poorest zip codes in Texas — before he ever ran for office. He's an eighth-generation Texan who's also finishing a Master of Divinity, and he talks about politics less like a partisan and more like a preacher: “the real fight is top versus bottom.”
- Capped the price of insulin at $50/month for Texans as a state legislator — while managing his own Type 1 diabetes.
- Named a Top 10 Best Legislator in Texas by Texas Monthly for pre-K class-size caps, childcare, and prescription-drug reforms.
- Broke Senate fundraising records — over $27 million in a single quarter, more than any Senate campaign has ever raised in that period.
- Beat back a lawsuit from Paxton himself, who tried to have Talarico expelled from the legislature for protesting a redistricting map.
How we win Texas
The path to flipping this seat
- Maximize turnout in Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio, where Talarico already leads by wide margins.
- Peel off the roughly 30% of John Cornyn's own primary voters who say they'd rather back Talarico than Paxton.
- Keep the race a referendum on Paxton's character, not national politics — GOP defectors cite his “criminality or corruption” as their top reason for crossing over.
- Lean into affordability, the #1 issue for Texas voters and the one where Talarico already leads Paxton on trust.
Talking points
What to say when it comes up
- “Paxton has a $6.6 million taxpayer-funded judgment against him for illegally firing staff who reported him to the FBI.”
- “Talarico capped insulin at $50 a month for Texans — he needed that cap himself.”
- “Even a third of Republicans who backed Cornyn in the primary say they're voting for Talarico over Paxton in November.”
- “Texas hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. Every dollar and every voter here writes history.”
Your voice counts
Will you back the fight to flip Texas?
Democrats hold the Senate at 53-47. This race is one of three that gets us there. A pledge is the first step — it tells us where our people are.