Talarico Leads Paxton in Texas Senate Race Days Before Tuesday's Midterm Election
Photo: The Guardian USDemocrat James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton 50 percent to 43 percent among likely voters in a New York Times/Siena College poll released Sunday, November 1, two days before Tuesday's midterm vote for a Texas Senate seat. Talarico, 37, a four-term state representative and former school teacher, is trying to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. The result is his strongest from a nationally recognized pollster. An April University of Texas/Texas Politics Project survey of registered voters had him ahead 42 percent to 34 percent. RealClearPolitics' average of polls from October 15 to November 1 showed him ahead 49 percent to 46.5 percent. Over the past month, President Donald Trump rallied in Texas and gave Talarico a mocking nickname, and JD Vance implied he is gay. Rightwing influencers also spread a false claim that Talarico had checked into a mental health clinic in Ohio; he was actually ill with flu. Talarico openly professes his Christian faith, and his campaign is reportedly winning over some Trump voters. Newsweek said it had contacted both campaigns for comment.
The Guardian US, the left-leaning outlet, runs a long profile built around Talarico's rise, with former Democratic state senator Wendy Davis recalling that she nicknamed him "Baby Obama" after first hearing him speak eight years ago. It details the Republican attacks from Trump, Vance and online influencers, labels the mental health claim baseless, and notes that most polls give Talarico a narrow edge. Its framing treats him as a threat to Republican power in Texas. Newsweek, in the alternative group, leads with the numbers: the Times/Siena result, the pollster's A rating from VoteHub, and the gap between likely-voter and registered-voter surveys, without the personal attacks. France 24 offers a short video-based explainer that stresses his faith, Paxton's controversial standing and Talarico's appeal to some Trump voters. All three note the 1988 gap and Talarico's lead. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.
How the sides differ Left sources emphasize Talarico's profile and attacks from Republicans; alternative sources stress polling and the matchup; right-leaning outlets had not covered the story.
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The Guardian US profiles Talarico's rise, quoting Wendy Davis, and details attacks from Trump, Vance and online influencers while noting he holds a narrow polling edge.
Newsweek leads with the Times/Siena poll and averages, while France 24 briefly stresses Talarico's faith, Paxton's controversial standing and some Trump voters' support.
Not covering this story. None of the right-leaning outlets Crosswire tracks has reported it yet. What one side leaves out can be as telling as what the others report.