President Donald Trump held a rally in San Antonio at Freeman Coliseum on October 9, 2026, to support Republican Ken Paxton in his Texas Senate race against Democrat James Talarico. Trump called Paxton "the greatest attorney general in the United States" but also acknowledged he could be "a pain in the a**" at times. Multiple protesters interrupted the event and were escorted out.
Donald TrumpPresident; rally speaker endorsing Ken Paxton
Ken PaxtonU.S. Senate candidate (Republican); spoke onstage with Trump
James TalaricoU.S. Senate candidate (Democratic); Paxton's opponent
Carlos De La CruzCandidate for Texas' 35th Congressional District (Republican); spoke onstage with Trump
Johnny GarciaCandidate for Texas' 35th Congressional District (Democratic)
Monica De La CruzU.S. Congresswoman holding District 15 seat (Republican)
Bobby PulidoCandidate challenging Monica De La Cruz (Democratic)
The facts
Trump spoke for nearly two hours at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on October 9, 2026.25Stated by 2 sources
Trump called Paxton 'the greatest attorney general in the United States of America.'1
Trump said Paxton 'could be a pain in the a** sometimes' but praised his loyalty.1
Multiple protesters interrupted the rally and were escorted out of the arena.25Stated by 2 sources
This was Trump's third appearance in Texas in the past month to urge Republican voter turnout.25Stated by 2 sources
The rally included Senate candidate Paxton and U.S. House candidate Carlos De La Cruz speaking onstage.25Stated by 2 sources
District 35 is one of five Texas congressional districts redrawn by state lawmakers aiming to flip Democratic seats.25Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Trump Paxton was at his side more than anybody during Trump's legal and political battles.1
Trump The midterm convention drew 107 million views and helped other candidates greatly.1
Ken Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux Reports that Paxton criticized Trump's convention were 'manipulated nonsense.'1
Ken Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux Internal polling showed Paxton three points ahead with improved numbers since early September.1
Johnny Garcia, House candidate Trump's visit to San Antonio could be seen as a good sign for his own campaign.25
Brad Johnson, Texas Bullpen Republicans targeting five seat gains will realistically only get maybe two.25
Where the sources disagree
Effect of Trump's midterm convention on campaign polling Trump said it helped candidates greatly and drew 107 million views [1]; Paxton reportedly said the event 'dropped our numbers' [1]; Paxton campaign adviser Maddux disputed this, citing internal polling showing Paxton three points ahead with improved numbers [1]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
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.
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, was interviewed about her campaign. She is running to secure schools and put money in voters' pockets, and is challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.
Two Texas county judge races are scheduled for the Nov. 3 election. In Bexar County, Republican Patrick Von Dohlen is challenging Democrat Ron Nirenberg. In Brazoria County, Republican Rob Giesecke, independent Lucinda Henry and Democrat Eugene Howard are running to replace retiring County Judge Matt Sebesta.
Patrick Von Dohlen, Republican candidate for Bexar County judge; Ron Nirenberg, Democrat candidate for Bexar County judge; Rob Giesecke, Republican candidate for Brazoria County judge and 3 more
County clerks and election administrators across Texas are implementing security procedures before early voting begins October 19. Travis County plans 201 voting locations on Election Day. Multiple counties conducted security training for poll workers.
Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk; Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew, Bexar County Elections Administrator; Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams, Dallas County Elections Administrator and 2 more
Democratic and Republican candidates released third-quarter campaign fundraising reports for the 2026 midterm elections. Democrat James Talarico's Texas Senate campaign raised $60 million between July and September, while Republican Ken Paxton's campaign raised about $10 million in the same period. Elon Musk's super PAC has heavily backed Paxton's campaign.
$$60 million for campaign funds raised, third quarter 2026
James Talarico, Democrat candidate for Texas Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for Texas Senate; Elon Musk, Tech billionaire and super PAC backer of Republican candidates
Elon Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in September 2026, which transferred the money to Texas PAC to finance advertising supporting Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
$$158 million for donation to Senate Leadership Fund
Elon Musk, Donor; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate and 3 more
Mike Garcia, a former college classmate of Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, appeared on Fox News to accuse Talarico of putting political ambitions ahead of truthfulness.
James Talarico, Democratic Texas Senate candidate; Mike Garcia, former college classmate making accusation; Will Cain, Fox News host
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico announced a campaign rally in El Paso on October 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. The event is part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" statewide tour ahead of the November 3 election.
James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General
Organizers of the "No Kings" movement held a gathering in Dallas to encourage early voting. The event included speakers, music, community activities, voting information, and election volunteer opportunities.
Indivisible Dallas, organizer of Dallas gathering; Black Voters Matter Texas, participating organization