Like in 2018, Talarico's performance atop the ticket could pull Democrats across the finish line in down-ballot races, including for the Texas House. Talarico's eye-popping leads in the suburbs are looking especially problematic for the GOP: state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila is trailing significantly in Williamson County's House District 52, and state Rep. Gary Gates is narrowly behind his Democratic opponent in Fort Bend County. Democrats currently hold 62 seats in the 150-seat Texas House, meaning they need to net 14 to claim the majority.

Jasper Scherer is the politics editor for The Texas Tribune. He oversees a team of reporters in Austin and Washington who lead the newsroom’s coverage of campaigns and elections, watchdog Texas' top...