No matter who wins the Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff on May 26, they face a tough battle heading into the November General Election.
While incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, and Attorney General Ken Paxton remain locked in a tight primary runoff race, a new poll from Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center shows either candidate will have an uphill battle against state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, in November. The poll, which surveyed voter sentiment heading into the General Election, was conducted among 1,223 voters between April 22 and May 6, 2026.
The poll found that if Cornyn is the Republican nominee, 45% of voters would back him compared to 44% for Talarico. The odds are not much better for Republicans if Paxton advances to the General Election, as 45% of voters said they would back the attorney general compared to 45% for Talarico.
The following are some of the other key findings in the poll:
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: New poll shows tight Texas US Senate race for Cornyn, Paxton
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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