Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico rallied students and voters in Austin on Friday ahead of the November 3 midterm election, taking aim at opponent Ken Paxton and billionaire backer Elon Musk as polls show a razor-thin contest across Texas.
Democratic nominee James Talarico addressed a packed crowd at the University of Texas at Austin on Friday at his alma mater, rallying hundreds of students and supporters before carrying his Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Tour
across the state.
U.S. Senate candidate @jamestalarico (D-TX) on Elon Musk involvement in Texas senate race: "If you've gotten lies in your mailbox, that was Elon. If you've received a text message, saying scary things about me with scary black and white photos, that was Elon too." pic.twitter.com/yPZjX4zCdR
Talarico Targets Elon Musk Over Republican Campaign Funding
Federal filings show that tech mogul Elon Musk contributed $150 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which subsequently transferred the identical sum to Texas PAC, a Republican super PAC backing Paxton (reported by The Guardian). Musk has also poured more than $190 million into the senate race in support of Paxton according to Federal Elections Commission filings, alongside plans to build his new Terafab facility in neighboring Grimes County.
Elon Musk wants our land. He wants our water. He wants our tax dollars. He wants his very own personal United States senator. He is trying to buy Texas.
James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, via The Guardian
Talarico frequently tells rally crowds that his movement is backed by millions of individual contributors rather than a single wealthy benefactor.
Trump Joins Paxton for Rallies Across Texas Turf
President Donald Trump traveled to Texas, holding rallies to rally conservative voters and campaign directly for Paxton. At the Lubbock event, Trump characterized Talarico as an anti-gun extremist
and warned supporters that he and Paxton stand as the last barrier against a Democratic takeover of the seat.
Talarico continued his statewide tour alongside local legislative candidates, including Texas House District 14 candidate Janet Dudding, during a later stop at Aggie Park on the campus of Texas A&M University. The university park gathering featured supporters holding buttons and signage while drawing attendance from local officials such as Bryan Mayor Pro Tem and Bryan City Councilman James Edge.
Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser noted to media outlets that late-stage campaign spending often encounters an electorate whose opinions are already fixed, though data consultants like Derek Ryan highlighted that early voting metrics showed Democratic primary history voters turning out in high volumes across the state.
Polls Show a Dead Heat as Early Voting Concludes
A late Quantus Insights survey conducted between October 26 and 28 found Paxton edging ahead with 48.7% to Talarico’s 47.6% (according to FOX 7 Austin), while multiple surveys released through late October placed Talarico ahead within their margins of error — including a YouGov poll showing him leading 50% to 45% (reported by Newsweek).
| Pollster | Field Dates | Talarico Support | Paxton Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouGov | Oct. 13–21 | 50% | 45% |
| ActiVote | Oct. 17–21 | 51% | 49% |
| Quantus Insights | Oct. 26–28 | 47.6% | 48.7% |
Over 860,000 ballots were cast in Harris County alone by Wednesday evening (reported by Red River Radio). Early voting officially concluded at 7 p.m. Friday, setting up a decisive battle for turnout on Election Day (noted by FOX 7 Austin).
Which candidate will secure the decisive turnout needed to win on November 3?
