Texas Senate Race Most Expensive in US Midterms, Talarico Leads Paxton
· World · Al Jazeera, CBS News
The 2026 US midterm elections are projected to set a record for total spending, with an estimated $11.21 billion spent on advertisements as of October 26. The Texas Senate race is among the costliest individual contests, expected to break spending records for a US Senate race. Democratic hopeful James Talarico holds a slim lead over Republican rival and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with CNN projecting Talarico at 49 percent support against Paxton's 43 percent. Nearly 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first week of early voting, and over $534 million has been spent on the Texas race alone. Talarico has outpaced Paxton in fundraising.
Why it matters
The outcome of these closely contested races, particularly in states like Texas, Ohio, and Michigan, will determine control of the US Congress. This will significantly impact President Donald Trump's legislative agenda for the remainder of his second term.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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