The Cook Political Report shifts the Texas U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico to a toss-up.
The Cook Political Report and Fox News have moved the Texas U.S. Senate race to a toss-up status, reflecting a tightening contest between Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Representative James Talarico. Recent polling shows the two candidates are statistically tied, with Talarico holding a slight edge in some surveys. While Paxton faces challenges regarding his campaign's war chest and limited appearances, Talarico has faced criticism from Republicans for his comments regarding gender. The race remains competitive as millions of dollars in attack ads are expected to air. Karl Rove noted that the outcome may depend on the spending of President Trump's super PACs. Additionally, the Cook Political Report updated its rating for the Texas governor's race, moving it from Solid Republican to Likely Republican as Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa closes the gap on Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Despite her unique appeal to Latino voters, Hinojosa still faces a significant fundraising disadvantage compared of to Abbott's $67 million war chest.