James Talarico's Chances of Beating GOP in Texas Senate Race—New Poll

By Andrew Stanton and Jason LemonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Democrats' longtime ambition of flipping a statewide race in Texas got a positive sign on Tuesday, as new polling data shows the party's Senate nominee, State Representative James Talarico, leading both incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn GOP state Attorney General Ken Paxton in head-to-head matchups.Talarico won his Democratic primary in early March, but Cornyn and Paxton are headed to a runoff in the Republican primary on May 26. Although Democrats consistently fall short of flipping statewide races for senate and governor in the GOP stronghold, some liberal and conservative analysts believe this year could be different—with Talarico's crossover appeal, President Donald Trump's low approval ratings and Democrats' consistent success in special elections over the past year.The new poll, which was conducted by Texas Public Opinion Research from April 17 to 20, signals Talarico has a shot at fulfilling his party's pipe dream. Cornyn trails his Democratic rival by 3 percentage points in the survey, with Talarico at 44 percent and the incumbent Republican at 41 percent. When pitted against Paxton, Talarico performs even better with 46 percent support to the GOP candidate's 41 percent—a lead of 5 points.The poll included 1,018 likely general election voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information....Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI GuidelinesRelated PodcastsTop StoriesFor MembersAnalysisHow the Iran War Scored Trump His Biggest OPEC Win Yet5 min readFor MembersAnalysisThe First Rule of Robot War: Keep the Humans Fighting6 min readWorldGermany Can Now Make More Ammunition Than The US, Says Weapons Giant3 min readFor MembersAnalysisDonald Trump Should Let Jimmy Kimmel’s Career Die of Natural Causes6 min readPoliticsHow ‘Bulletproof’ White House Ballroom Would Change Trump’s Security7 min readNewsSecret Service Faces Review As Agency Fails To Learn Lessons From Butler6 min readTrendingOhioSupreme Court Deals Final Blow to Ex-GOP Speaker in $60M Bribery Case6 min readGreen CardGreen Card Update: Applicants Impacted by Trump Travel Ban Get Legal Win6 min readDogsDog Trainer Reveals 5 Signs Your Pup Feels Emotionally Safe at Home3 min readAmazonAmazon Layoffs Hit 4 States Today7 min readJimmy KimmelJimmy Kimmel Defends Melania ‘Widow’ Joke as Trumps Pile Pressure on ABC9 min readOpinionOpinionWhy NATO’s Weakest Link Is Spain | Opinion4 min readOpinionThe Trump Staged Shooting Conspiracies Need to Stop | Opinion6 min readOpinionVirginia Shows the Way: Let’s End the Electoral College Farce | Opinion7 min readOpinionThe DNC Didn’t Ban AIPAC, But Warning Signs Remain | Opinion5 min readOpinionWar Won’t Solve Iran’s Nuclear Threat. This Could | Opinion5 min read

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