In tight Senate race, Talarico and Paxton discuss border security during campaign stops in "critically important" South Texas
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton discussed border security as they brought their U.S. Senate campaigns to South Texas last week.
Both are hoping to attract voters who two years ago chose President Trump, when he won 14 of 18 counties within 20 miles of the southern border.
Talarico went on what his campaign called the "Frontera Tour", a five-day, 750-mile trip along the southern border. In Texas' Big Bend, Talarico stood with a bipartisan group of elected leaders to lay out what he calls his "common sense border security plan."
He told reporters, "We need more border patrol agents. We need more immigration judges. We need more surveillance technology. Both parties have failed us on our border. Most Texans don't want open borders. Most Texans don't want this corrupt border wall. What we want, what we need is common-sense border security, and we need it today."
Talarico also met with supporters in El Paso, Marfa, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo, McAllen, and Edinburg.
As a State Representative, Talarico and other Democrats in the Texas House opposed various state bills to clamp down on illegal immigration. At his news conference in Sanderson, Terrell County's Republican Sheriff, Thaddeus Cleveland, criticized the Trump administration's plan to place a four-foot vehicular barrier in areas of the Big Bend. Cleveland endorsed Talarico's plan, but not the candidate himself, and he told CBS News Texas in a phone interview that he won't back Paxton.
In McAllen, Paul Perez, President of the National Border Patrol Council, endorsed Paxton. The Attorney General held his first campaign event last Tuesday, his first since he defeated Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff on May 26th.
Paxton emphasized his record of suing the Biden administration over its border policies, which resulted in record illegal immigration according to federal government statistics.
Paxton told supporters, "So, my view on immigration is, we need a secure border. We need to protect our country, and we need to make sure that we take care of America first. Now, I don't think my opponent, you've heard his name before, I don't think he would be filing lawsuits against Joe Biden."
Polls show this race is neck and neck.
Clifford Young, a pollster and political science professor at Texas A&M's Bush School, told CBS News Texas that the candidates' visits to South Texas highlight the region's importance this year.
"It's critically important, obviously," said Young. "I see it as a canary in the coal mine. Indeed, in 2024, the critical issue was the border. Republicans and Trump took Texas, really carried Latinos much more strongly than in past races because of that issue."
"So, the critical question today is, what are those issues that are really weighing on Texans in general and Texans in the south? It is affordability, affordability, affordability. Obviously, there are border concerns, but really, this electoral cycle is about economics. It's about household income and making ends meet."
Texas Democrats have told CBS News Texas that they believe they will attract more Latinos in November. They have said many Latinos have buyer's remorse after voting for President Trump two years ago.
Republicans have told CBS News Texas they're confident their party will still do well with Latino voters.
When asked if he believed that Democrats have a good opportunity to win back some of the Latino vote away from Republicans, Young said, "It's hard to say, obviously, at this point. But what we do know is that Latinos are voicing their frustrations around, again, affordability. It's a much more important issue than the border."
"The border was critical in 2024," said Young. "Talarico and Democrats more generally have an advantage on affordability. So, yes, I could see Latinos breaking more this electoral cycle for the Democrats than not. What is the size of the break? That's another question. But ultimately, the critical issues of the day favor more Democrats than Republicans."
Young said he doesn't think the various deadly shootings by ICE officers will have a major political impact on this race. "I see the ICE events, ICE issues as more marginal in their effect. Things are happening, obviously, they can be negative, they can be positive. It's creating more noise and friction than anything else."
"What's critical when it comes to the border issues is that Texans believe that the federal government, the Trump administration, has done a good job at reducing the migrant flow," Clay added. "That sticks in the head of all Texans, whether they're red, blue, or purple."
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