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Early voting is open through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3, 14 days away. Elections

Elections

University of Houston poll shows Talarico leading Paxton in Senate race

A University of Houston poll released in October 2026 found Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race. The same poll showed Republican Greg Abbott leading Democrat Gina Hinojosa in the governor's race.

Where
Statewide
When
October 2026
Sources
Reported by 3 outlets

Taxes and money

None stated in sources.

Does this affect you?

Coming up

  • Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Senate and House elections in Texas and nationwide3

Who's involved

  • James TalaricoDemocrat candidate for U.S. Senate
  • Ken PaxtonRepublican candidate for U.S. Senate
  • Ted BrownLibertarian candidate for U.S. Senate
  • Greg AbbottRepublican candidate for governor
  • Gina HinojosaDemocrat candidate for governor
  • Pat DixonLibertarian candidate for governor
  • University of HoustonPolling organization

The facts

  • University of Houston poll found Talarico at 48%, Paxton at 46%, Brown at 3% in Senate race.2
  • University of Houston poll found Abbott at 49%, Hinojosa at 46%, Dixon at 2% in governor race.2
  • Senate elections scheduled for November 3, 2026.3
  • House elections scheduled for November 3, 2026.3
  • 35 Senate seats are up for election November 3.3

Who said what

These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.

  • NBC News Democrats need net gain of four Senate seats to win control.3
  • NBC News Democrats need net gain of three House seats to take back the House.3

How they headlined it

The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.

  • Hottest 2026 Midterm Races—Democrats Talarico And Brown Lead In Texas, Ohio (Updated Daily)

    Forbes

  • Hottest 2026 Midterm Races—Talarico Up 2 Points In Texas Senate Race In Latest Poll (Updated Daily)

    Forbes

  • Talarico Narrowly Leads in Texas Senate Race

    Political Wire

  • Midterms 2026: Congress Polls and More

    NBC News

  • Hottest 2026 Midterm Races—Democrats Brown, Cooper Ahead In Ohio, North Carolina Senate Races (Updated Daily)

    Forbes

Sources

Outlets: 1 left-leaning, 2 not rated Only left-leaning outlets reported this Who's covering Texas →

These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.

  1. Hottest 2026 Midterm Races—Democrats Talarico And Brown Lead In Texas, Ohio (Updated Daily) Forbes Not rated, October 18, 2026
  2. Talarico Narrowly Leads in Texas Senate Race Political Wire Not rated, October 19, 2026
  3. Midterms 2026: Congress Polls and More NBC News Lean Left, October 20, 2026

This sheet was written by AI from the sources above and adds nothing they don't state. Read the originals for full context.

Spot an error on this sheet?

All corrections and updates

Keep reading

Early voting turnout surges in El Paso and Dallas counties on first day

El Paso County reported its second-highest first-day early voting turnout for a midterm election, with more than 22,000 ballots cast, 90% higher than 2022. Dallas County broke its all-time first-day early voting record with 76,079 voters. Both counties surpassed previous midterm records.

Lisa Wise, El Paso County Elections Administrator; Clay Jenkins, Dallas County judge

Reported by 3 outletsFound via Google News

Talarico skips Sanders rally, campaigns separately in Senate race

Democratic Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico did not attend a Monday rally headlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders in El Paso, instead holding campaign events hundreds of miles away in North Texas as his race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton entered its final weeks before the 2026 midterm elections.

James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate; Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator who headlined rally

Reported by 2 outletsOnly right-leaning outlets reported thisFound via Google News

Indian-American voter's post supporting Talarico draws hundreds of thousands of views

An Indian-American voter posted on social media supporting Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate in Texas, citing concerns about xenophobia and racial resentment. The post received about 857,000 views within seven hours, drawing criticism from conservative commentators. Early voting is underway ahead of the November 3 election.

Vasant Bhatt, Indian-American voter; James Talarico, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas; Patrick Casey, Conservative commentator

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Early voting in Bexar County surges on first day compared to 2022

Early voting began in Bexar County on the first day of the 2026 midterm election. The county reported a significant increase in early voting turnout compared to the 2022 midterm election's first day.

Bexar County Elections Department, Reported early voting turnout figures; Ricardo Barrera, Early voter at Lions Field; Princess Harris, Early voter and 4 more

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Trump to hold campaign rallies for Paxton in Texas next week

President Trump will hold campaign rallies in Lubbock and Waco on October 27 to support Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The Texas Senate race between Paxton and Democratic State Rep. James Talarico is described as a dead heat.

Donald Trump, US President; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and State Rep. and 3 more

Reported by 9 outletsOnly right-leaning outlets reported thisFound via Google News

Early voting begins in Texas U.S. Senate race between Paxton and Talarico

Early voting for the midterm elections began on October 19, 2026, across Texas. The U.S. Senate race features Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Representative James Talarico. Recent polling shows them in a statistical dead heat or with Talarico in the lead.

Ken Paxton, Republican state Attorney General, U.S. Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic state Representative, U.S. Senate candidate; University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs, Released latest statewide survey and 1 more

Reported by 10 outletsFound via Google News

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