Talarico takes voter questions in CNN town hall as new polls show tight Texas Senate race

A solo prime-time appearance

James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Texas, took questions from voters at a televised CNN and Jubilee town hall in Fort Worth on Wednesday, October 14. CNN said the event, moderated by Erin Burnett, would air live at 8 p.m. Eastern and feature an audience of Democrats, Republicans and independents who plan to vote. ^{[1] [2]}

A CNN live blog covering the event was headlined "Voters press Talarico on economy, healthcare and mudslinging at Texas town hall." CNN said it had invited his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, to take part; WBAP reported on Wednesday afternoon that Paxton had not confirmed. ^{[10] [1] [2]}

Polls show a narrow race

A Marist poll of 1,196 registered Texas voters, conducted October 8 to 11 and released October 14, found Talarico at 47% and Paxton at 45% among likely voters. The margin of error for likely voters is 4.9 percentage points, so the gap is not statistically meaningful. Among registered voters Talarico led by 4 points, Marist said. In the governor's race, Republican Greg Abbott led Democrat Gina Hinojosa 49% to 45% among likely voters. ^{[4] [5]}

The Texas Tribune, reviewing several surveys released this week, reported that Democrats hold narrow leads or trail by small margins in the state's top races. A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll it cited put Talarico at 50% and Paxton at 47%. ^[5]

The debate dispute

Talarico has accepted several debate invitations, while Paxton has not agreed to any, according to the Texas Tribune, as published by KSAT. The report noted that Paxton also avoided debates in his three races for attorney general. ^[6]

The candidates

Talarico, a former teacher from Round Rock, was first elected to the Texas House in 2018, according to his legislative biography. Paxton has been attorney general since 2015. CNN noted that he was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015 and impeached by the Texas House in 2023 before being acquitted by the state Senate. Paxton raised more than $18 million in the third quarter, a personal best, the Texas Tribune reported. ^{[9] [3] [7]}

Television ad spending in the race passed $500 million this week, CNN reported, citing AdImpact. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win control of the Senate. ^[3]

What happens next

Early voting in Texas runs from October 19 to October 30, and Election Day is November 3, according to FOX 4. With Paxton yet to accept a debate, the CNN event may be one of the few televised forums before ballots are cast, while both campaigns and outside groups continue to flood the state with advertising. ^{[8] [6] [3]}