Talarico Rallies at UT Austin as Texas Senate Polls Show 3-Point Edge
Updated
Updated · KUT · Oct 23
Talarico Rallies at UT Austin as Texas Senate Polls Show 3-Point Edge
3 articles · Updated · KUT · Oct 23
Summary
James Talarico packed UT Austin’s Hogg Auditorium on Friday, using his “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour to urge turnout five days after early voting began in Texas.
The Democratic state representative framed the race as a final push and reiterated promises on affordability, public schools and healthcare costs in his bid against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Polls have tightened the contest: a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project survey last week put Talarico ahead by 3 points, while a University of Houston poll released Friday showed him leading Paxton by 11 points among Latino voters even as rural voters heavily favored Paxton.
Paxton has been campaigning through Houston and South Texas, with Friday stops in Laredo and Selma before returning to Central Texas on Saturday.
Texas turnout has already hit roughly 3 million votes statewide, including more than 198,000 ballots in Travis County — about 21% of its 952,000 registered voters — with early voting running through Oct. 30 before the Nov. 3 election.
With over 3 million early ballots cast in Texas, does this surge indicate a historic overall turnout or just shifted voting habits?
Considering 73% of Texans face healthcare affordability issues, what specific legislative solutions will effectively lower these staggering out-of-pocket costs?
How might the controversial Proposition I audit proposal reshape Austin's city services and long-term financial transparency if passed this November?