Talarico Leads Paxton by 5 Points in Texas Senate Race Poll

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, is facing allegations of voter fraud from his Democratic rival, State Rep. James Talarico. According to reports from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, Paxton voted in six elections using an address where he no longer resided, including during the March Republican primary.

Talarico, challenging Paxton in the race to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, accused Paxton of committing voter fraud during a campaign event in Houston. 'As our state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton has gone on a voter fraud witch hunt,' Talarico said. 'Turns out, he was committing voter fraud the whole time, voting illegally in six elections in a row from the wrong address.'

The Collin County Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Texas secretary of state, urging an investigation into Paxton's actions. Three election experts told ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that Paxton may have broken state law. Paxton has repeatedly declined to answer questions about his voter registration and residency.

At a news conference in Fort Worth, Paxton touted the endorsement of nearly two dozen sheriffs but avoided questions about his voting residence and property acquisitions. His campaign did not respond to requests for comment from ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, or CBS News Texas.

A new poll by Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) shows Talarico leading Paxton 45% to 40%, marking the largest lead for any Democrat in a public poll during the general election period. The survey of 1,048 likely voters, conducted between July 15 and July 17, has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.

Talarico's lead is driven by strong support among independents and non-college-educated voters, groups that have traditionally favored Republicans in Texas. The poll found Talarico leading among non-college-educated voters by nine percentage points (45% to 36%) and winning 71% of Black voters and 66% of Latino voters. Paxton maintains a strong lead with white voters, at 53% to 33%.

Despite the poll results, Republicans believe they will consolidate behind Paxton as the bitter primary between him and Sen. John Cornyn fades from memory. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as 'Lean Republican.' However, Talarico's campaign has studied previous races and is attempting to paint Paxton as part of a broader culture of corruption that has failed to improve people’s lives.