Talarico Holds Narrow Lead in Texas Senate Race Against Paxton
Democratic candidate James Talarico holds a slight lead over Attorney General Ken Paxton in a tight Texas U.S. Senate race focused on transgender care and corruption.
Democratic state Representative James Talarico holds a narrow lead in the Texas U.S. Senate race against Attorney General Ken Paxton with one week remaining before the November 3 election. The contest has intensified following dueling rallies in Lubbock, where Donald Trump campaigned for Paxton while Talarico characterized his opponent as the most corrupt politician in Texas.
Talarico has alleged that Elon Musk contributed over $150 million to Paxton's candidacy. Musk has actively engaged in the race on social media, asserting that children's lives depend on the outcome. A central conflict in the campaign involves medical interventions for transgender minors. Paxton recently secured a $10 million settlement from Texas Children's Hospital over improper Medicaid billing for sex-altering treatments and established a detransition clinic. Talarico faces scrutiny over conflicting statements on the issue; while he has publicly supported a national ban on sex-altering surgeries for minors, undercover recordings show him promising to fight for transgender children.
The race serves as a critical test of Republican statewide control in Texas, which has lasted 34 years. While Paxton maintains strong base support, prominent Republicans including Neil Bush and former state representative Bennett Ratliff have defected to support Talarico.
