Dem
47
GOP
53
We should also check in with the Texas U.S. Senate race, even if the news there isn't quite as big as the news in Maine and South Carolina.
To start, nearly everything is coming up roses these days for the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico. We noted it briefly last week, but his fundraising remains brisk. He took in more than $30 million in Q2, which is more than triple the $9 million brought in by the Republican nominee, Texas AG Ken Paxton. And, for sake of comparison, the last two Democratic nominees for Texas U.S. Senate seats, Colin Allred and Beto O'Rourke, took in a little over $10 million each in Q2 of their campaign years. So, Talarico really is setting the (fundraising) world on fire.
The only reason we write that "nearly" everything is going well for the candidate is that there was an incident this weekend, during a town hall, where Talarico was confronted by one of the attendees, who was both a woman and Black. You can click that link to see the footage; there is little context for what triggered the woman's response, and it looks to us like he handled the matter with as much grace as is possible. However, quite a few outlets (e.g., The Hill) reported that he was "shouted down." We would say he was shouted at, and that being shouted at is quite different from being shouted down. Of course, readers may see things differently, and it's at least possible the incident will hurt Talarico with the Black voters he badly needs.
Meanwhile, Paxton just can't seem to stay out of his own way. Earlier this month, it was reported that the AG celebrated America's 250th birthday in a curious way: He took his mistress on a vacation... to London. Perhaps he did not study U.S. history, and so is unaware of which nation the Declaration of Independence was directed at.
And then, this weekend, yet another skeleton emerged from Paxton's closet. Or, at least, a potential skeleton. The Texas Tribune and ProPublica took a look at Paxton's voting record, and discovered that, for several years, he's been voting at an address where he no longer resides. That is a violation of state law. There IS a provision in the law that allows you to keep voting at an address you've left, if you intend to return (a provision undoubtedly meant to accommodate service members and other folks who might be temporarily domiciled at some place other than their home). However, Paxton appears to have established a different, permanent residence. Further, it is improbable he was planning to return to his old residence, since that remains the house of the soon-to-be-ex-wife that he is divorcing and has cheated on repeatedly.
In short, you have a fellow who professes to be Christian, and yet is a serial adulterer. A fellow who professes to be a patriot, but spends the most significant Fourth of July in many years in the United Kingdom. A fellow who has used his office to crack down on alleged voter fraud, while at the same time casting (probably) fraudulent ballots. If Paxton is not careful, Texas voters just might conclude he's a hypocrite.
There hasn't been any polling of the race this month, but the three polls released late last month support the conclusion that it's close. SoCal Strategies, a Republican house, had Paxton up 2 points, 49% to 47%. The New York Times/Siena had it tied at 47%. And A2 Insights had Talarico up 2 points, 48% to 46%.
But the best indication that Paxton knows he's got a tough fight on his hands might be this: The AG has agreed to debate Talarico. The number of debates is undetermined, as are the time, location, and circumstances of the debate or debates. However, Paxton is a somewhat odd-looking, low-energy fellow who has never once participated in a political debate. Talarico is much more debonair, and is a better and more polished public speaker. So, Paxton would start a debate (or debates) at a disadvantage. He obviously knows this, and wouldn't agree to debate unless he felt it absolutely necessary. (Z)