<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democrat James Talarico leads Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by 5 points in a new Texas Senate race poll.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The poll from Texas Public Opinion Research, surveying 1,007 likely Texas voters from September 19 to 22, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6%, had Talarico at 49%, Paxton at 44%, Libertarian Ted Brown at 3%, and 3% undecided. Talarico also had a 32-point lead among independents. He led with black, Latino, under-55, college-educated, and male and female voters, while Paxton led only with voters aged 55 and over and white voters.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The race was the only one surveyed where Republicans were behind their Democratic counterparts. Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) leads Democrat Gina Hinojosa by 4 points in the gubernatorial race, Republican Mayes Middleton leads Democrat Nathan Johnson by 3 points in the attorney general’s race, and Republican Bo French leads Democrat Jon Rosenthal by 1 point in the Texas railroad commissioner race.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In response to the polling, the Republican Party has begun raising significant funds to support Paxton’s campaign. Texas PAC, which has links to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), has pledged $120 million and could send as much as another $80 million.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democrats have also increased their funding efforts in the race. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) Senate Majority PAC launched the Texas-focused PAC Texas Forever last week to assist Talarico.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Talarico has raised $72 million since the beginning of 2025, compared to Paxton’s $16.8 million.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With 37 days remaining until the midterm elections, Republicans have identified vulnerabilities in Talarico, including his religious views and social positions, which have been targeted by GOP attacks. Former President Donald Trump has referred to Talarico as “Talafreako.”</p>