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Map the Midterms2026 midterms information · not official

U.S. Senate

Texas U.S. Senate — 2026 (Class 2)

Texas’s Class 2 Senate seat is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. A Libertarian candidate has also appeared in recent published surveys.

Cook Political Report: Tossup (August 20, 2026)

What this office is

Each state elects two U.S. senators. A senator’s term is six years. Class 2 seats are on the regular 2026 cycle. The Senate writes and votes on federal legislation, confirms many presidential nominees, and tries impeachments. The winner of a November general election takes office only after the state’s official canvass and the new Congress is seated.

Why it matters in 2026

Cook moved Texas from Lean Republican to Toss Up on August 20, 2026, citing public and private polling in a state Trump won by a double-digit margin in 2024. Reuters and CBS have treated the race as a surprise battleground. Official canvass remains a Texas function.

The Class 2 seat is open after Sen. John Cornyn lost the 2026 Republican primary to Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Primary outcomes are historical facts reported by news outlets and Ballotpedia. November names must still be confirmed on the official Texas ballot.

Candidates

Names below are declared or nominated figures reported as of mid-September 2026. Party labels identify tickets only. This is not an endorsement and not a certified list.

Official portrait of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Ken Paxton

Republican

Republican nominee; Texas attorney general

Paxton has been Texas attorney general since 2015. He defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary with President Trump’s endorsement. His official biography emphasizes law-enforcement and litigation work on behalf of the state.

Read more:Texas Attorney GeneralWikipediaBallotpedia

Photo: Office of the Texas Attorney General / public domain. Public domain (U.S. government work). Source

James Talarico

Democratic

Democratic nominee; Texas state representative

Talarico represents a central Texas district in the Texas House. He is a former teacher and seminary student. National coverage of the 2026 cycle has treated him as the Democratic Senate nominee against Paxton.

Read more:Texas House member pageWikipediaBallotpedia

Published polls

Published surveys tagged to TX SenateIndividual published surveys. Not a Map the Midterms average and not a prediction.
PollsterDatesSampleDemRepSpread
Emerson College / Nexstar
Emerson College Polling, Texas 2026 poll (Sept. 12–14) · accessed September 17, 2026
Sep 12–14, 20261,000 LV · ±3.047Talarico46PaxtonTalarico +1
Emerson College / Nexstar
Emerson College Polling, Texas 2026 poll (Aug. 9–10) · accessed September 17, 2026
Aug 9–10, 20261,000 LV · ±3.046Talarico47PaxtonPaxton +1
Texas A&M / Siena
RealClearPolling, 2026 Texas Senate — Paxton vs. Talarico · accessed September 17, 2026
Jun 1–4, 2026807 LV · ±4.046Talarico46PaxtonTie
Quantus Insights
RealClearPolling, 2026 Texas Senate — Paxton vs. Talarico · accessed September 17, 2026
Jun 3–4, 2026800 LV · ±3.543Talarico45PaxtonPaxton +2
Texas Southern University / YouGov
RealClearPolling, 2026 Texas Senate — Paxton vs. Talarico · accessed September 17, 2026
Apr 22–May 6, 20261,223 RV · ±2.845Talarico45PaxtonTie

Questions readers ask

When is Election Day?
The 2026 U.S. midterm general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting and mail-ballot calendars differ by state.
Is this the official candidate list for this Senate race?
No. Map the Midterms is not an election office. Confirm qualified names with the Texas Secretary of State and the official sample ballot for your address.
Are the poll numbers a forecast?
No. Tables show individual published surveys with the pollster, dates, sample, and a link. They are not a prediction and not an average unless a cited aggregator says so.

Other Texas guides