As Election Day nears, a look at the big money, tight polls, and closing themes in the Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton
The Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton is one for the record books, at least when it comes to the big money spent on political ads. AdImpact Politics reports that when you add up the amount of ad spending in both the general election and back to the primaries, the Texas Senate race is now the most expensive non-presidential race on record — with ad spending reaching $544.5 million. In the general election, AdImpact Politics said Friday that Republicans spent $274.1 million on political ads for Paxton, while Democrats spent $133.4 million on political ads for Talarico.
Despite the spending, Talarico has continued to lead the polls, even though the race has tightened. As of Friday evening, the Real Clear Politics average of polls between October 8 and October 28 shows Talarico ahead of Paxton by 1.8 percentage points, 48.8-47%.
During the nearly two-week early voting period, the Senate candidates and their political parties have been hammering away at their opponents in their closing arguments to voters. Talarico has emphasized corruption and tied Paxton to the high costs of food, gas, and diesel. At a rally in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, Talarico said, "Republicans know just as well as Democrats that there is no place for guys like Ken Paxton in Texas. That's why these two parties that don't seem to agree on anything these days came together to impeach the most corrupt politician in our state."
Paxton and Republicans have emphasized the phrase "common sense over crazy." The Attorney General has said Talarico is too radical for Texas, and they cite his comments online about transgender children, God, and the oil and gas industry. Paxton told a crowd in Wichita Falls last week, "We transition him and his crazy ideas right out of Texas."
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have each come to Texas to campaign for Paxton four times during the last month, starting with the first-ever RNC Midterm Convention in Dallas. The Vice President headlined a rally in Weatherford last Thursday, where they announced the overflowing crowd inside and outside was the largest yet to greet him. He urged Republicans to go out and vote for Paxton.
"I believe Texas is one of the most important Senate races in America. Let's give it up for Ken Paxton, your amazing Attorney General."
He later vowed, "Texas ain't surrendering!"
Last Tuesday, President Trump held two rallies in the Lone Star State: the first in Corpus Christi and the second in Lubbock, and he urged them to get to the polls.
"So, every single person has to go out and vote. You have to. You just have to go out and vote," the president said.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters was in Wichita Falls with Paxton last Monday. When asked why it's necessary for the President and Vice President to make frequent trips to the largest red state in the country, Gruters told CBS News Texas, "When we have the midterm election cycle like we do, and in order to defy history, it comes back to the turnout game. How do you do that? You put your best guys forward. President Trump is the best guy in the history of the Republican Party to turn out low-propensity voters. So, that's why he's doing all these rallies."
He said the party is doing what it can to warn Republicans about Talarico.
"The fact that we have a guy that believes God is non-binary, who has six genders, who is a Christian but hates Christianity," Gruters said. "Is that the path that Texas really wants to go down?"
The Senate Majority PAC, linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, has also invested in the Texas Senate race to help Talarico. Press secretary Christyna Thompson told CBS News Texas something is happening in the Lone Star State this year. "What makes this cycle feel especially different is the fact that we have a quality candidate out of James Talarico. We have an environment that has favored Democrats since the top of this year, and we have a deeply flawed candidate out of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was impeached by his own party for bribery and abuse of power. So, all of those combinations of factors taken together give us a lot of confidence heading into Tuesday, and why we feel that the enthusiasm and energy is behind us this year."
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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