Sizing up the Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton as early voting begins

October 18, 2026 / 6:00 AM CDT / CBS Texas.

On the eve of early voting in Texas, Democratic state Rep. James Talarico maintains a slim lead over Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, in the race for U.S. Senate.

The Real Clear Politics average of polls between September 24 and October 14 shows Talarico ahead by an average of 2. 2 percentage points.