Talarico Leads Texas Senate Polls as Campaign Adds Former Republican Aide
Recent polling shows James Talarico ahead of Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race, with independent voters strongly supporting him. The campaign has hired Jacob Smith, who spent five years as deputy legislative director and policy adviser for Sen. John Cornyn, as deputy policy director. Talarico has outlined a border approach that emphasizes on‑site asylum processing, faster immigration court decisions and limiting deportations to convicted criminals and traffickers.
His campaign website was revised to remove earlier references to transgender issues and battles against Republican extremism. His legislative record includes votes against tighter bail rules, cashless bond restrictions and penalties targeting cities that cut police budgets, while supporting increased assault penalties and expanded sexual‑assault victim rights.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning coverage is the most divided on this story
Why it matters
The race could determine whether a Democrat breaks a decades‑long Republican hold on Texas’s Senate seats.
How this story developed
- Jul 28 Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico accused of violating state voting residency rules
- Aug 5 A July poll shows Talarico at 45% and Paxton at 40% in the Senate race.
- Aug 10 Republican Rep. Max Miller has remained on the ballot for Ohio’s 7th District after the certification deadline passed, even as his ex-wife accuses him of severe abuse.
- Aug 11 Miller filed paperwork to initiate a House Ethics Committee investigation of himself.
- Aug 18 Jacob Smith, former deputy legislative director for Sen. John Cornyn, joined Talarico’s campaign as deputy policy director.
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