The 2026 Texas Senate race: James Talarico vs. Ken Paxton

Active · last development Sep 25: “Talarico up four points in new Texas poll”

What this arc covers

The 2026 general election for Texas's U.S. Senate seat between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton: the campaigns, fundraising, polls, ads and outside spending, and the controversies, including attacks over Talarico's faith and church, the FCC dispute over his Jimmy Kimmel interview, and Paxton's record.

Photo from MyStateline, with Talarico challenges Paxton to debate on Fox News (Sep 24), the story with the most independent sources this week.

Earliest story we hold Apr 28, 2026 · 68 stories · 153 independent sources (counted once each) · 150 days

Part ofJames TalaricoTexasKen PaxtonUnited States SenateDemocratic PartyDonald TrumpJohn CornynDallas

Part of The 2026 Texas Senate race

  1. Ken Paxton's primary defeat of John CornynApr 9, 2025 – May 26, 2026
  2. James Talarico's Democratic primary winJul 1, 2025 – Jul 9, 2026
  3. James Talarico vs. Ken PaxtonThis arcApr 28 – Sep 25, 2026

Part of The 2026 Senate races

  1. The 2026 Iowa Senate race: Josh Turek vs. Ashley HinsonAug 29, 2025 – Sep 23, 2026
  2. The 2026 Wyoming Senate race to succeed Cynthia LummisDec 19, 2025 – Aug 19, 2026
  3. The 2026 Alaska Senate race: Dan Sullivan vs. Mary PeltolaJan 12 – Sep 24, 2026
  4. The 2026 Louisiana Senate race: Bill Cassidy's primary defeatJan 18 – Jun 27, 2026
  5. The 2026 Texas Senate race: James Talarico vs. Ken PaxtonThis arcApr 28 – Sep 25, 2026
  6. The 2026 Massachusetts Senate race: Ed Markey vs. Seth MoultonMay 30 – Sep 4, 2026
  7. The 2026 Kansas Senate race: Roger Marshall vs. Adam HamiltonAug 5 – Sep 28, 2026
  8. The 2026 South Carolina Senate race: Darline Graham vs. Annie AndrewsSep 11 – Sep 27, 2026
Show remaining 11 arcs
  1. The 2026 Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson vs. Susan CollinsNov 14, 2024 – Sep 27, 2026
  2. The 2026 Ohio Senate race: Jon Husted vs. Sherrod BrownJan 15, 2025 – Sep 27, 2026
  3. The 2026 Florida Senate race: Ashley Moody vs. Angie NixonJan 16, 2025 – Sep 19, 2026
  4. The 2026 Kentucky Senate race to succeed Mitch McConnellFeb 20, 2025 – Jan 19, 2026
  5. The 2026 New Hampshire Senate race: Chris Pappas vs. John E. SununuMar 12, 2025 – Sep 9, 2026
  6. The 2026 Michigan Senate race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike RogersApr 14, 2025 – Sep 23, 2026
  7. The 2026 Illinois Senate race to succeed Dick DurbinApr 23, 2025 – Mar 18, 2026
  8. The 2026 Minnesota Senate race: Peggy Flanagan vs. Michele TafoyaApr 29, 2025 – Aug 12, 2026
  9. The 2026 Georgia Senate race: Jon Ossoff vs. Mike CollinsMay 5, 2025 – Sep 29, 2026
  10. The 2026 Nebraska Senate race: Pete Ricketts vs. Dan OsbornJul 8, 2025 – Sep 16, 2026
  11. The 2026 North Carolina Senate race: Roy Cooper vs. Michael WhatleyJul 24, 2025 – Sep 28, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 25– 28Talarico up four points in new Texas poll8 articles · 6 independent sources
0 left, 4 center, 2 right
Sep 24– 25Talarico challenges Paxton to debate on Fox News14 articles · 11 independent sources
2 left, 2 center, 0 right
Sep 23– 24Hidden Camera Captures Pastor Admired by Talarico Criticizing Evangelical Christians6 articles · 4 independent sources
0 left, 0 center, 4 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Aug 10 – 16State of Texas: One point separates Paxton, Talarico in Senate poll26 articles · 14 independent sources
    1. Aug 10Only center coverage:Paxton, Talarico locked in dead heat for Texas Senate: Poll
    2. Aug 13Only center coverage:Paxton, Talarico still fighting tight Senate race, per latest Emerson-Nexstar poll
    3. Aug 13Who leads 2026 Texas Senate race? Latest Paxton vs. Talarico polls
  2. Aug 24 – 29Trump and Vance will keynote the Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas next month20 articles · 18 independent sources
    1. Aug 24Dallas prepares for Republican midterm convention as costs, security draw scrutiny
    2. Aug 26Trump and Vance will keynote the Republicans' midterm convention in Texas next month
    3. Aug 27Only center coverage:Republicans worry Trump’s midterms convention will flop
  3. Sep 5 – 6Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz38 articles · 38 independent sources
  4. Sep 7 – 11Texas Senate candidate James Talarico: Voters are "tired of this professional wrestling" in politics22 articles · 15 independent sources
    1. Sep 7Only lean-left coverage:Paxton, Talarico Senate fight moves to Dallas convention
    2. Sep 8Former Texas AG aide, Paxton whistleblower backs Talarico in attack ad
    3. Sep 10Talarico leads Paxton in Texas by 4 points: Poll
    4. Sep 11Only right-leaning coverage:Ken Paxton finally hits back — with James Talarico’s own words
  5. Sep 10 – 13Jimmy Kimmel moves Talarico interview to YouTube because of FCC ‘threat’81 articles · 57 independent sources
    1. Sep 10Jimmy Kimmel moves Talarico interview to YouTube over FCC ‘threat’
    2. Sep 13FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Accuses James Talarico Of Running A “Hoax” With Jimmy Kimmel Sit Down; YouTube Interview Nears 7 Million Views
  6. Sep 14 – 18Talarico neck and neck with Paxton in new Texas Senate poll30 articles · 14 independent sources
    1. Sep 14James Talarico's Chance of Beating Ken Paxton Flips in New Poll
    2. Sep 15O'Reilly predicts Paxton win: 'Talarico is just too much' for Texas
  7. Sep 14 – 16Republicans pile on James Talarico after he quickly names his favorite drag queen15 articles · 15 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Apr 27May 25Jun 29Jul 27Aug 31Sep 28

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Apr 27, 20261126
May 25, 202623313
Jun 8, 20261225
Jul 6, 202628533
Jul 13, 20261139
Jul 20, 2026331225
Jul 27, 20263101048
Aug 3, 202638425
Aug 10, 202646637
Aug 17, 2026231629
Aug 24, 2026214550
Aug 31, 2026871358
Sep 7, 2026201718134
Sep 14, 20264142182
Sep 21, 2026591050
Sep 28, 20260202

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

24% left · 41% center · 35% right of 153 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 68 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. April 2026

    Apr 28Talarico leads Paxton, Cornyn in new US Senate race poll6 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right

  2. May 2026

    May 25– 28Talarico targets Paxton’s scandals in Texas Senate race, pivoting from his sunny primary message14 articles · 11 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 3 right

  3. June 2026

    Jun 8Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Defense Lawyer Endorses James Talarico5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 2 right

  4. July 2026

    Jul 8If Democrats want to win Texas, they’ll have to be smarter than this | Dallas Morning News6 articles · 1 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  5. Jul 9– 10James Talarico raises over $30 million in second quarter, campaign says, more than triple Ken Paxton’s sum12 articles · 12 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 4 right
  6. Jul 9– 10Cruz: Talarico has ‘real chance’ to beat Paxton in Senate race9 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  7. Jul 10– 12Talarico's 'Frontera Tour' addresses border issues, affordability in El Paso6 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  8. Jul 16– 17Talarico challenges Paxton to debates in US Senate race9 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 3 right
  9. Jul 20– 22Talarico faces hostile crowd at Houston town hall as Black voter outreach hits turbulence9 articles · 9 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 6 right
  10. Jul 21– 22Talarico and Ossoff criticize 'Epstein class' while raking in cash from Epstein's ally5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 4 right
  11. Jul 21– 23Paxton paints Talarico as one of most anti-police politicians in Texas history5 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right
  12. Jul 25Talarico is trying to win back Hispanics along the Texas border who swung toward the GOP6 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 0 right
  13. Jul 27Years of scandals haven’t stopped Ken Paxton. Can James Talarico change that?7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 0 right
  14. Jul 27– 29James Talarico Credits Islam as an Inspiration for His Christian Faith6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 4 right
  15. Jul 28– 30Talarico leads Paxton in Senate race by 5 points in new poll17 articles · 13 independent sources
    1 left, 7 center, 2 right
  16. Jul 28– 30Ken Paxton Alleges James Talarico Committed Election Fraud.7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 6 right
  17. Jul 29– 30Talarico challenges Paxton to debates before November midterms8 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  18. Jul 31– Aug 4Poll: Talarico has slim lead over Paxton in Texas Senate race12 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 2 right

  19. August 2026

    Aug 4Poll: One-third of Black Texas voters say Talarico win makes them more likely to vote9 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 0 right
  20. Aug 5– 8After criticizing Paxton, Talarico’s voting registration raises questions7 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
  21. Aug 10– 16State of Texas: One point separates Paxton, Talarico in Senate poll26 articles · 14 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 3 right
  22. Aug 12CAUGHT: James Talarico quietly ERASED his radical past from his website2 articles · 2 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 1 right
  23. Aug 12– 13KHOU 11 speaks one-on-one with Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico2 articles · 1 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  24. Aug 13James Talarico’s Border Policies Could Spark Another Biden-Level Migrant Crisis3 articles · 3 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 1 right
  25. Aug 14James Talarico Endorsed by Attorney Accusing Opponent Ken Paxton of Theft4 articles · 4 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 1 right
  26. Aug 18Talarico campaign hires former top Cornyn staffer10 articles · 9 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 7 right
  27. Aug 19– 21James Talarico Weighs in on Karmelo Anthony's Conviction11 articles · 9 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 7 right
  28. Aug 22Talarico floods Texas airwaves in U.S. Senate race as Paxton, GOP stay quiet1 articles · 1 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 0 right
  29. Aug 22– 23Cook Political Report: Texas Senate race a 'toss up,' Texas governor leans right2 articles · 2 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 1 right
  30. Aug 22– 24Dems Worry James Talarico Lacks Support From Black Voters to Win Texas Senate Race7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 3 right
  31. Aug 24– 29Trump and Vance will keynote the Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas next month20 articles · 18 independent sources
    1 left, 6 center, 1 right
  32. Aug 25– 28Talarico leads Paxton as Texas voters rank affordability top concern, poll finds16 articles · 12 independent sources
    0 left, 7 center, 2 right
  33. Aug 26– 27Talarico wants to unearth Paxton's depositions to keep focus on opponent's past in Texas Senate race4 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  34. Aug 27– 28Trump vows to spend 'a lot of time in Texas' helping Paxton Senate bid8 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
  35. Aug 31– Sep 5Talarico aims to rally rural Texans to cut Paxton’s edge in Senate race11 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 5 right

  36. September 2026

    Sep 1– 2James Talarico Calls Capitalism ‘Oppressive,’ Echoes DSA Rhetoric on ‘Dismantling’ It5 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 4 right
  37. Sep 2Trump made a mess in Texas by backing Paxton. Now Republicans want him to clean it up.1 articles · 1 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 0 right
  38. Sep 3Trump trashes Paxton’s appearance after vowing to campaign for him in Texas1 articles · 1 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 1 right
  39. Sep 4– 9Everything Is Bigger in Texas — Including the Senate Stakes6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 1 right
  40. Sep 5– 6Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz38 articles · 38 independent sources
    7 left, 5 center, 8 right
  41. Sep 7– 11Texas Senate candidate James Talarico: Voters are "tired of this professional wrestling" in politics22 articles · 15 independent sources
    5 left, 5 center, 3 right
  42. Sep 8– 9James Talarico Denies Jesus Is the Only Way, Says Allah Leads to Same Truth6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 6 right
  43. Sep 9Texas Democrat Says James Talarico Needs Crockett’s Help to Win1 articles · 1 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 0 right
  44. Sep 9– 11Talarico opposes trans athletes in girls' sports 'if it endangers safety or fairness'6 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 3 right
  45. Sep 9– 10Paxton asks Republicans for prayers, votes at midterm convention5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
  46. Sep 10– 13Jimmy Kimmel moves Talarico interview to YouTube because of FCC ‘threat’81 articles · 57 independent sources
    16 left, 10 center, 9 right
  47. Sep 10Ken Paxton’s new anti-trans attack on James Talarico is literally fake2 articles · 2 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 0 right
  48. Sep 10– 14Senate Republicans finally mobilize with big money for Ken Paxton in Texas6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
  49. Sep 11– 12Trump's teasing is the price Paxton had to pay to use Republican midterm convention to raise money6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  50. Sep 12– 13State of Texas: Paxton and Talarico in their own words6 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  51. Sep 13– 14Texas Senate race: How James Talarico and Ken Paxton say they'll make life more affordable4 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  52. Sep 14– 15FCC Chair Brendan Carr accuses Talarico of running a 'hoax' with Jimmy Kimmel interview5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 3 right
  53. Sep 14– 18Talarico neck and neck with Paxton in new Texas Senate poll30 articles · 14 independent sources
    0 left, 9 center, 1 right
  54. Sep 14– 16Republicans pile on James Talarico after he quickly names his favorite drag queen15 articles · 15 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 13 right
  55. Sep 17– 19Talarico hit with ‘blatant corruption’ allegation over hefty salary from consulting firm, campaign pushes back…2 articles · 2 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 1 right
  56. Sep 17– 18New poll shows Hinojosa ahead of Abbott for first time, Talarico leads Paxton6 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  57. Sep 17– 18James Talarico Accusations Explained as Ken Paxton Accuses Him of Corruption6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 5 right
  58. Sep 18– 20Talarico’s church distributes Bibles that erase ‘Son of God’ from Jesus’s name: report4 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 4 right
  59. Sep 18– 19What's making the Texas Senate race so competitive2 articles · 2 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 0 right
  60. Sep 19– 20State of Texas: Race for Texas senate, governor heating up6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  61. Sep 19– 20Trump's MAGA Inc. funnels another $5 million into Texas Senate race2 articles · 2 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right
  62. Sep 20– 24New poll puts Talarico ahead in Texas Senate race14 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 2 right
  64. Sep 22– 23Bush and Cornyn leave out Paxton as they raise cash for Senate candidates6 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 3 right
  65. Sep 23James Talarico's church houses illegal immigrant, minister says; Paxton responds2 articles · 2 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 2 right
  66. Sep 23– 24Hidden Camera Captures Pastor Admired by Talarico Criticizing Evangelical Christians6 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 0 center, 4 right
  67. Sep 24– 25Talarico challenges Paxton to debate on Fox News14 articles · 11 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 0 right
  68. Sep 25– 28Talarico up four points in new Texas poll8 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 2 right