A Marist poll finds Texas Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa ahead of their Republican rivals before the November 2026 elections: Talarico drew 50% support to Ken Paxton’s 44%, while Hinojosa had 49% to Gov. Greg Abbott’s 46%.
Among independents, Talarico had 55% support and Hinojosa 52%. Yet 52% of respondents expected Paxton to win the Senate race, and 68% thought Abbott would be reelected.
Marist surveyed 1,139 registered Texas voters Sept. 17–20; the margin of error was 4.4 percentage points. In August, the Cook Political Report rated the Senate race a “toss-up” and the governor’s race “likely Republican.” The article says shifts toward Democrats came after Hinojosa launched ads attacking Abbott for accepting data-center money. This election cycle, Abbott rescinded his past support for Texas data-center projects, told voters he had called for blocking new rural development, and asked regulators to ensure residents are not burdened with related infrastructure costs.
