Paxton and Talarico Head Into Election Day in Tight Texas Senate Race
Photo: CBS NewsTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, made his final push Monday before Tuesday's midterm election for an open U.S. Senate seat, facing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in what could be the state's closest Senate race in decades. Paxton spoke at closing rallies in Conroe, near Houston, and Allen, outside Dallas, each drawing a couple hundred supporters. He said Texas has never been so close to slipping away and that residents risk losing their jobs, livelihoods and way of life. A Talarico win would make him the first elected Democratic senator from Texas since 1988. Not every attendee was a supporter: Tim Bachle, a 45-year-old Houston accountant who voted early for Talarico, came to the Conroe rally out of curiosity and was not overly hopeful about his candidate's chances. CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz interviewed Texas voters about the issues weighing most on their choices. In December 2020, Paxton filed a Supreme Court suit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin seeking to overturn their 2020 presidential results.
The Washington Examiner, on the right, leads with Paxton's closing pitch from Allen, quoting his warning about losing the Texas way of life and describing Republican anxiety, crowd sizes and cautious optimism. Its headline frames the story around anxious Republicans, and it includes a Talarico voter, while the excerpt does not mention Paxton's 2020 lawsuit. CBS News, on the left, puts voters first: its headline and summary focus on the top issues driving them in a tight race, listing Talarico before Paxton and offering no candidate quotes or issue specifics in the excerpt. Both agree the race is close and name the same two candidates; they differ in focus, with the Examiner on Paxton's campaign and party mood and CBS on voter priorities. Reason, an independent outlet, takes a distinct angle, using Election Day to revisit Paxton's 2020 lawsuit as a low point and detailing its statistical argument about Biden's win.
How the sides differ Right sources stress Paxton's closing rallies and Republican urgency; left sources center voters' top issues; alternative sources revisit Paxton's 2020 election lawsuit.
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CBS News frames the race through voters, with correspondent Adriana Diaz asking Texans which top issues are tipping their choice between Talarico and Paxton in a tight contest.
Reason uses Election Day to revisit Paxton's 2020 Supreme Court suit against four states, describing it as a low point and recounting the statistical claims in the filing.
The Washington Examiner covers Paxton's final rallies in Conroe and Allen, featuring his warning about Texas's future, Republican urgency, cautious supporters and a Talarico voter.