James Talarico ran up the score in the Panhandle, while rural Texans living along the Louisiana border stayed home.
Beto O’Rourke
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
After supporting Trump in 2024, Texas border counties fueled Democrats’ big night
Counties along the U.S.-Mexico border saw the largest surge in voter turnout compared to any other region in the state.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Most polls have Talarico ahead of Paxton in the U.S. Senate race
We’re tracking all major polls in the U.S. Senate race to give Texans a fuller picture of where this race is headed. Paxton has been consistently trailing in the polls, but the margins are tight.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Paxton vs. Talarico: Five things to watch in Texas’ tight U.S. Senate race
A swing back among Latino voters, Harris County turnout and Republicans skipping the Senate race are among the trends we’ll be tracking as returns come in.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
More than 7.7 million Texans voted early in 2026 election, surpassing 2018 record
More than 40 percent of voters cast a ballot during the early voting period, passing the modern-day record set in 2018.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
These are the most competitive November races up and down Texas’ midterm ballot
Texas has an unusually large slate of competitive races for the state Legislature and U.S. House this year. Here’s our list of contests to watch.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Dems hope to clinch the state by flipping Collin County, Paxton’s homebase and a longtime GOP bastion
Democrats’ chances hinge on finally winning a county that for years has been trending purple.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Fed up with data centers and Big Tech, rural Republican crossover could decide Democrats’ fate in Texas
Rural Republicans have long undercut Democrats’ gains in cities and suburbs. Will enough defect to make a difference this fall?
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
How Gina Hinojosa went from progressive to populist, emerging as Greg Abbott’s most formidable challenger
Hinojosa has gone from unknown state lawmaker to Abbott’s most viable Democratic challenger yet — a surge that has dared Democrats to wonder if she could actually topple this mainstay of the Texas Republican establishment.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
“Uncharted territory”: Two months from Election Day, Democrats in Texas are truly competitive
Democrat James Talarico is consistently leading in the polls over Ken Paxton, which is unheard of in recent decades. National forecasters are calling Texas a tie, or else giving the advantage to the Democrat.