Talarico Holds Final Rally Before Texas Senate Vote Against Republican Ken Paxton

Democrat James Talarico held a final rally on Monday in his Texas U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton, a day before the November 3 midterm election that could help decide which party controls the Senate. Talarico, 37, a four-term state representative and former school teacher, would be the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988. Most opinion polls give him a narrow edge. In the final month, Donald Trump rallied in Texas and gave Talarico a mocking nickname, JD Vance implied Talarico is gay, and rightwing influencers spread a baseless claim that he entered an Ohio mental health clinic; he actually had flu. A super PAC backing Paxton put $15 million behind an ad buy attacking Talarico for voting against a 2025 state law that bars buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea from acquiring Texas property. Separately, Alaska's Senate race features Democrat Mary Peltola, with two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

The left-leaning outlets, CBS News and The Guardian US, frame Texas as a possible upset in a typically red state. CBS pairs it with Alaska in a short video analysis, while The Guardian gives a long profile built on Wendy Davis's recollections of Talarico's early speeches. The Guardian also lists the Trump, Vance and influencer attacks and calls the clinic claim a lie, details absent from the right-leaning coverage. The Daily Signal, on the right, focuses on China's role in the midterms and what Congress does next. It highlights the $15 million Paxton-aligned ad buy and Talarico's vote on the property law, and mentions his response only in a truncated excerpt. Both sides cover the same race but differ in focus. France 24 largely echoes the left's stakes-focused framing, noting the rally and the 1988 benchmark.