{"id":2596167,"date":"2026-04-28T13:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-texas-senate-candidate-james-talarico-leads-gop-opponents\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:35:36","slug":"poll-texas-senate-candidate-james-talarico-leads-gop-opponents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-texas-senate-candidate-james-talarico-leads-gop-opponents\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico leads GOP opponents"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpoll-texas-senate-candidate-james-talarico-leads-gop-opponents%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2596167&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A new April survey by nonpartisan Texas Public Opinion Research finds Democratic U.S.Senate candidate James Talarico narrowly ahead in two matchups: 44% to 41% over Sen. John Cornyn (with 11% undecided) and a slight edge over Attorney General Ken Paxton.The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-sounds-like-he-wants-to-abandon-a-ship-rick-scott-wants-to-captain\/\" title=\"McConnell Sounds Like He Wants To Abandon A Ship Rick Scott Wants To Captain\">race remains competitive<\/a> within the margin of error, but Democrats see new momentum in a state they\u2019ve long struggled to win statewide. Talarico\u2019s lead is strongest among Black, Latino, and college-educated voters, while the Republicans draw more from white, non-college-educated, and rural voters. Republicans will first be decided by a May 26 runoff between Cornyn and Paxton, while Talarico clinched his nomination after winning a Democratic runoff earlier in the month. The contest has drawn national interest-especially because Trump has not endorsed either republican-and is shaping up to be one of Texas\u2019s most expensive Senate primaries, with Talarico reporting $27 million raised in the first quarter.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Democratic Texas state Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"17710\">James Talarico<\/a> is narrowly leading both potential <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"926\">Republican<\/a> opponents in a new survey of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"253\">Texas<\/a> U.S. Senate race, offering Democrats fresh optimism in a state that has long eluded the party.<\/p>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TPOR-April-2026-TXSEN-poll.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TPOR-April-2026-TXSEN-poll.pdf\">poll<\/a> conducted by nonpartisan Texas Public Opinion Research from April 17 to 20 found Talarico ahead of Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"965\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4370\">Ken Paxton<\/a> (R), though both matchups remain within the survey\u2019s margin of error, underscoring what is becoming one of the closest and most expensive <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8765\">Senate<\/a> contests of the 2026 cycle.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4545678\/cory-mills-primary-challenger-misconduct-allegations\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Embattled Rep. Cory Mills draws primary challenger amid misconduct allegations<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4544121\/jon-husted-sherrod-brown-fundraising-polling-ohio-senate-race\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jon Husted keeps cool despite Sherrod Brown\u2019s fundraising and polling gaining steam in Ohio Senate race<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4543070\/maryland-republican-wes-moore-military-record-transparency\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Maryland Republican challenges Wes Moore over military record transparency<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4479775\/four-takeaways-first-primary-election-2026\/\"><strong>FOUR TAKEAWAYS FROM THE FIRST PRIMARY ELECTION OF 2026<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Among 1,018 likely general election voters, Talarico leads Cornyn 44% to 41%, with 11% undecided. His 3-point edge is driven by strong support among black voters, Latino voters, and college-educated voters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"83a5eef3-05b0-466b-b4b5-aa0a25d0e017\" data-type=\"interactive\" data-title=\"Talarico-Coryn General Election Horserace Poll 4.27\"><\/div>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(e,n,i,s){var d=\"InfogramEmbeds\";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,\"script\",\"infogram-async\",\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\");<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"1b654478-1a97-4b13-b997-6a76da9b3628\" data-type=\"interactive\" data-title=\"Talarico-Paxton General Election Horserace Poll 4.27\"><\/div>\n<p><script>!function(e,n,i,s){var d=\"InfogramEmbeds\";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,\"script\",\"infogram-async\",\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\");<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Talarico also posts a slim advantage over Paxton, continuing a trend seen in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/texas-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">several recent polls<\/a> that show the Democrat competitive against either Republican nominee.<\/p>\n<p>Cornyn and Paxton are set to face off in a May 26 runoff to determine who will advance to the general election. Talarico secured his own nomination earlier this month after defeating Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jasmine-crockett\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"9855\">Jasmine Crockett <\/a>(D-TX) in a competitive Democratic runoff.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican contenders draw their strongest backing from white, non-college-educated, and rural voters, according to TPOR. Talarico leads college-educated voters by 10 points against Cornyn and 14 points against Paxton, while each Republican holds only narrow advantages among non-college voters.<\/p>\n<p>The race has drawn national attention as President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> has yet to endorse either Republican candidate, despite both seeking the president\u2019s backing. It is also shaping up as one of the most expensive Texas primaries on record, with Talarico reporting $27 million <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4529864\/james-talarico-texas-senate-campaign-27-million-dollars\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4529864\/james-talarico-texas-senate-campaign-27-million-dollars\/\">raised in the first quarter alone<\/a>. Cornyn, by comparison, brought in $9 million, while Paxton trails further below his fellow Republican.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4480699\/2026-primaries-incumbent-warning-signs\/\"><strong>CRENSHAW LOSS AND OTHER EARLY PRIMARIES SHOW WARNING SIGNS FOR INCUMBENTS IN 2026<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The poll lands as Democrats have performed well in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-highlights-bidens-failures-eyes-gop-victory\/\" title=\"McConnell highlights Biden\u2019s failures, eyes GOP victory\">recent special elections<\/a> this cycle, boosting party hopes that traditionally red states are more in play in 2026. A competitive Texas Senate race would test whether those gains can translate beyond <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >low-turnout special elections<\/a> into a full statewide contest.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Democrats face a steep climb. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994, and past cycles have featured favorable polling that failed to translate into Election Day victories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democratic Texas Rep. Talarico narrowly leads GOP Senate rivals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2596168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-collage-up8xegr0c-1777393140346-e1777393365940.jpg?1777379733&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6203,59577,35899,3694],"class_list":["post-2596167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gop","tag-james-talarico","tag-senate-election","tag-texas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-collage-up8xegr0c-1777393140346-e1777393365940.jpg?1777379733&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2596167"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2596171,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2596167\/revisions\/2596171"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2596168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2596167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2596167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2596167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}