A new poll shows Democrat James Talarico widening his lead in the U.S. Senate race in Texas.
Texas Public Opinion Research released a poll Tuesday, July 28, that showed Talarico with a five-point lead over Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton, marking the first poll to show Talarico widening the gap between him and Paxton. The poll was conducted among 1,048 likely Texas voters between July 15 and July 17.
Talarico and Paxton will face off in the November 3 General Election.
In the latest poll, 45% of respondents said they backed Talarico, compared with 40% for Paxton.
Along with galvanizing Democratic support, Talarico continues to poll well among moderates and independents. Additionally, Talarico’s message on affordability appears to be striking a note with voters as 44% listed it as their number one election issue.
“Voters say Talarico better understands the economic challenges facing working Texans over Paxton by 7 points and also trust Talarico to lower costs and improve Texans’ financial situations over Paxton by a 9-point margin,” a TPOR news release stated. “Renters and non-college voters trust Talarico on these issues by even wider margins.”
Beyond affordability, respondents listed healthcare access and costs (21%), Social Security and Medicare (21%), economic growth and job creation (20%), immigration (16%), border security (11%), public safety (5%), regulating AI (5%), infrastructure and the electric grid (4%) and regulating data centers (4%) as other top issues.
Talarico also holds the highest statewide favorability rating at 43% favorable versus 31% unfavorable, while Paxton has the lowest at 33% favorable versus 46% unfavorable.
Talarico is also leading among Black and Latino voters, with 71% of Black voters and 66% of Latino voters saying they plan to vote for Talarico. Paxton continues to lead among white voters at 53%.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: James Talarico widens lead over Ken Paxton in new Texas Senate poll
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Adam Powell, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
