SAN ANTONIO — James Talarico delivered a closing campaign pitch in San Antonio on Sunday, casting himself as an underdog fighting powerful interests even as a new New York Times/Siena poll showed him leading Republican Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race.
“San Antonio, we are the underdogs in this race. We are literally going up against the richest man in the world and the most powerful man in the world,” Talarico said. “The powers that be have chosen their candidate; they have already bought and paid for Ken Paxton. But we are standing with the powers that ought to be.”
The Democratic nominee appeared alongside gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa at The Espee, two days before the Nov. 3 election. The event was part of his “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” campaign tour.
Talarico’s closing argument has increasingly focused on Elon Musk’s financial support for Republican-aligned groups backing Paxton. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk had contributed more than $160 million to help the Republican win. Addressing several hundred supporters Sunday, Talarico accused Musk of attempting to purchase political influence.
“He is trying to buy Texas,” Talarico said.
A New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday showed Talarico at 50% among likely Texas voters, with Paxton at 43%. The same survey found a significantly tighter governor’s race, with Hinojosa at 48% and Gov. Greg Abbott at 47%. The Texas results carried a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points, leaving the gubernatorial contest without a clear leader.
The polling provided an encouraging snapshot for Democrats heading into Election Day, while Talarico continued to describe his campaign as an underdog effort.
Talarico’s remarks focused on the influence of wealthy political backers, accusing powerful interests of choosing Paxton over ordinary Texans.
Hinojosa, meanwhile, directly challenged Abbott’s portrayal of her record, accusing the Republican incumbent of misleading voters about her positions on taxes and education.
“I have never, not once, supported an income tax,” Hinojosa said. “I’ve never, not once, voted to increase property taxes, and no, I am not working with teachers to try to trans your kids.”
“Greg Abbott is telling lies about me because he can’t run on his record,” she added.
Her comments put a sharp edge on the Democrats’ closing message, challenging the credibility of Republican attacks while seeking to redirect attention toward the party in power.
Talarico also argued that the election should offer voters something beyond a clash between candidates and their backers: a broader sense of what Texas could become.
“This election should be about chasing a vision for what this state can be,” he said.
