Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton expressed confidence in his Senate campaign, stating he is undeterred by recent polls indicating a slim lead for his Democratic opponent, James Talarico. Paxton attributed Talarico's current advantage to a three-month delay in his own campaign following the primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, during which Talarico significantly out-raised and outspent him.
"He had three months to fundraise. So, he's been spending $2 million a week to gain that advance," Paxton told Fox News Digital, referring to Talarico. Despite the fundraising disparity, with Talarico reportedly raising $31.6 million to Paxton's $9.3 million in the latest filings, Paxton believes voters will reject Talarico's platform once they are fully informed.
Paxton accused Talarico of masking a "far-left socialist agenda" and presenting himself as a moderate, particularly on issues such as border security, energy, and social policies. He cited Talarico's past statements, including those on gender identity and climate change, suggesting that voters would not align with these views. "I do not believe a poll that tells me that, ‘We don't care what he believes. We don't care that he voted for a state income tax. We don't care that he wanted to trans children. We don't care that he's against the oil and gas industry. We don't care that he voted against every border security bill,’" Paxton stated.
A recent Fox News poll showed Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 48%, with a slightly wider margin among highly motivated voters. The poll also indicated that 59% of Texas voters expressed concern about Paxton's character, while 47% were concerned about Talarico being "too extreme."
Paxton asserted that Talarico's campaign has been bolstered by significant financial contributions from outside Texas, particularly from California, with out-of-state donors accounting for approximately 50% of Talarico's funds in the first quarter of 2026. In contrast, Paxton's campaign received about 25% of its cash from out-of-state sources during the same period.
As both candidates campaign across Texas, Paxton plans to highlight what he calls the "stark difference" between himself and Talarico. He intends to focus his messaging on affordability and regulatory reform, proposing policies such as a $50,000 tax deduction for first-time homebuyers, a $25,000 annual deduction for medical expenses, doubling the child tax credit, and continuing "Trump accounts." He also proposed a $5,000 "healthy living deduction" for expenses like gym memberships and nutrition programs.
"We're still three months out," Paxton said. "And I know that when we put our resources together, when we get there, we will be able to highlight things and once the voters know the real James Talarico, not the fake one that's running right now … people will get to decide for themselves."