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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Texas general election matchups are finally set. Here's what you need to know

Talarico is the Democratic nominee in the Senate race the article describes as newly competitive.

Texas general election matchups are finally set. Here's what you need to know
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This article1 analysis · Oct 6, 2026

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Republished from NPR, with credit to the original publisher.

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70 stories · 89–90 · updated Oct 6, 2026

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May 27, 2026
tl;dr

Ken Paxton defeated John Cornyn in Texas’s Republican Senate runoff, setting up a general-election race against Democrat James Talarico. The article also reviews congressional primary results, turnout and the possible effect of President Trump’s endorsements.

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This story reports what happened without casting Talarico in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Talarico’s record.

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Democratic Senate candidate facing Paxton in the general election

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Ken Paxton
R · TX

Republican Senate candidate who won the primary runoff

Paxton's version of this story ↗
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President whose endorsements featured in several Texas Republican primary contests

Representative who defeated Green in the Democratic primary

Thomas Massie
R · KY-4

Representative mentioned as another Republican defeated by a Trump-backed challenger

Democratic candidate who lost in the 35th Congressional District

Julie Johnson
D · TX-32

Representative who lost the Democratic nomination to Colin Allred

Thom Tillis
R · NC · SEN

Senator who chose not to run for reelection

Al Green
D · TX-9

Representative defeated in the Democratic primary by Christian Menefee

Bill Cassidy
R · LA · SEN

Senator mentioned as another Republican defeated by a Trump-backed challenger

Ted Cruz
R · TX · SEN

Senator whom Allred challenged in the 2024 Senate election

John Cornyn
R · TX · SEN

Incumbent senator defeated by Paxton in the Republican runoff

Colin Z. Allred
Former U.S. Representative (D-TX)

House candidate who defeated Johnson for the Democratic nomination

ALSO MENTIONED  Greg Abbott, Texas governor whose preferred candidates lost to Trump-endorsed candidates in two contests

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