Co-host Sunny Hostin of ABC's "The View" expressed confidence Thursday that Texas will turn blue in the upcoming November elections, potentially marking the first time in approximately 30 years a Democrat wins statewide office in the state. Hostin's prediction is based on recent polling data indicating a tight race between Democratic candidate James Talarico and Republican incumbent Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat.
According to polls cited by Hostin in September, Talarico held a lead over Paxton, with eight pollsters showing Talarico ahead 51% to 45%. The polling data also revealed significant leads for Talarico among specific voter groups: 56% to 40% among women, 66% to 22% among voters aged 18 to 29, and 62% to 30% among Hispanic voters.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin suggested that Texas being a competitive state reflects broader voter frustration with current leadership. "The fact that Texas is in play speaks to the moment right now that people are so frustrated with the current leadership," Griffin stated. She also noted that while the race could go either way, Talarico's strong performance is partly attributed to an endorsement of Paxton by former President Donald Trump. Griffin commented that Talarico appears to be a strong candidate and that Sen. John Cornyn might have been a more formidable Republican opponent than Paxton.
A Fox News poll released in October corroborated the close contest, showing Talarico with a slim 2-point edge over Paxton (51-49%) among likely voters. The same poll indicated Talarico has a net positive personal rating of 8 points, while Paxton is underwater by 18 points. The poll also highlighted divisions within the Republican party, with 32% of self-identified Republicans viewing Paxton unfavorably, compared to 5% of Democrats viewing Talarico unfavorably.
Regarding control of the Senate, the Fox News poll found likely Texas voters split, with 49% favoring a Democratic Senate and 50% preferring a Republican one. Notably, 8% of Republicans indicated a preference for Democratic control, while only 1% of Democrats expressed support for Republican control.
However, co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Ana Navarro expressed caution regarding the polling data. Navarro invoked the 2016 election, stating, "2016 left me scared." She emphasized the need for voters to translate hope into action at the ballot box, warning against complacency based solely on poll numbers.
Paxton's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Former President Trump held a campaign rally with Paxton in San Antonio earlier in the week. During the rally, both Trump and Paxton pointed to Talarico's absence from the event. A spokesperson for Talarico's campaign stated that the candidate had been ill with the flu and was expected to return to campaigning over the weekend.
RNC spokesman Zach Kraft criticized the co-hosts' political commentary, stating that anyone taking their remarks seriously likely possesses a "low enough IQ to qualify as a guest host on ‘The View.’"