A new poll from FOX News shows Democratic candidate James Talarico with a slight advantage over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a contentious Senate race that remains extremely close as November inches closer.
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The poll also found Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa in a dead heat in the race to lead the Lone Star State.
Talarico leads Paxton in Fox News poll
In the poll, conducted July 23–26, 51% of those polled said they planned to vote for Talarico in November, while 48% put their support behind Paxton.
The numbers are closer compared to a poll published earlier this week by Texas Public Opinion Research that showed the Austin Democrat with a five-point lead.
The Fox News poll showed plenty of room for a shift in support for both candidates, with 19% of those who said they would vote for Talarico open to the idea of changing their mind, while 22% of Paxton supporters said they were open to changing their support.
While both candidates garnered strong support as candidates, at least a third of voters on either side said they made their choice as a vote against the other candidate.
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Nearly half of voters polled (47%) said they felt Talarico was too extreme to serve as Senator, with 25% saying they were “extremely concerned.”
More than half (59%) of those polled said they felt Paxton lacked the moral character to be a U.S. Senator, with 33% saying they were “extremely concerned.”
Governor’s race is a dead heat
Fox’s polling also showed a dead heat in the governor’s race.
Abbott supporters made up 50% of those polled, while 49% of those polled said they supported Hinojosa.
The poll shows a closer contest than a poll from Texas Public Opinion Research, which showed Abbott held a three-point lead.
The poll surveyed 1,006 Texas registered voters and was conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw and Company Research. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3%.
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