Texas Democrat Talarico leads senator Cornyn and AG Paxton in Senate race poll

Democrats’ hopes of winning control of the US Senate in November’s midterm elections have been boosted by a poll showing James Talarico, the party’s candidate in Texas , leading in a head-to-head matchup against two potential Republican opponents. The Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) survey has Talarico, a Democratic state legislator, ahead of the GOP incumbent senator, John Cornyn , and his internal party challenger, Ken Paxton, in one-on-one contests. According to the poll, which surveyed the intentions of 1,018 likely voters, Talarico has a three point lead – 44% to 41% over Cornyn, who has been a senator since 2002 and served four consecutive terms. Talarico, a former seminarian who has made a point of fusing his Christian values with progressive policies, has a five point lead, 46% to 41%, in a hypothetical contest with Paxton, the Texas attorney general who has gained a reputation as a conservative firebrand and been embroiled in controversy after misconduct charges led to him being impeached in 2023. Cornyn and Paxton face each other in a primary runoff election on 26 May before one will appear on November’s ballot. Each have vied for the endorsement of Donald Trump – whose support has long been deemed the bellwether of viability for Republican candidates. So far, Trump has declined to endorse either man, describing both as “electable” and “great people”. …