August polls showed Democrat James Talarico holding a slim lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, according to multiple public surveys cited in August coverage of the contest for U.S. Senate.
A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll published Aug. 24 found Talarico at 42% and Paxton at 39% among likely voters, the university wrote on its site.
An Aug. 4 Axios story summarized that “three consecutive polls have now shown Democrat James Talarico narrowly ahead of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton,” describing the August pattern of polling.
Other August surveys painted a similar picture: an Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey in mid‑August described the race as in a dead heat, while local outlets reported late‑August polls showing Talarico up by small margins.
Pollsters and analysts note undecided voters remain a swing factor; one late‑August poll reported several percent undecided, leaving room for movement before November.
What this means for the race depends on turnout and how campaigns respond to late developments; polling in August showed small leads but did not clear either candidate of uncertainty as the election approaches.
Sources
- University of Texas/Texas Politics Project — Aug. 24 poll results showing Talarico 42% and Paxton 39%.
- Axios — Aug. 4 coverage noting “three consecutive polls” with Talarico narrowly ahead.
- Emerson College Polling — mid‑August survey described as a dead heat in the Senate race.
- Houston Public Media — Aug. 25 story reporting the UT/Texas Politics Project poll and local polling context.
