Voting opens in Cornyn-Paxton runoff as poll shows November risk
The poll tested Cornyn against Talarico in a hypothetical November matchup as Cornyn competed in the Republican runoff.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page identifies USA TODAY Network as the reporting source and names the reporter. Yahoo News republishes the article with attribution; the reporting comes from an established national news organization.
- Source type — The reporting is attributed to USA TODAY Network, an established national news organization.
- Author attribution — A named reporter and his USA TODAY role are identified.
- Transparency — The poll's sponsoring institution, field dates, sample size, and margin of error are stated.
The article reports specific poll results and basic methodology, including the sample size, field dates, and margin of error. It relies on one survey and offers limited context about the polling methods or comparison with other polls.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article reports polling results for the candidates in both possible runoff outcomes, but relies on a single poll and provides little outside context or response.
- Source diversity — The article relies on one university survey and does not compare it with other polling.
- Counterarguments presented — It gives results for both possible Republican nominees and the Democratic and Libertarian candidates, but includes no campaign responses.
- Loaded language — The reporting is mostly restrained, with no sustained evaluative language about the candidates.
The article presents poll findings and hypothetical matchups in a largely neutral, factual tone without apparent partisan framing.
- Language tone — The text primarily reports survey figures without loaded descriptions of the candidates.
- Framing — It focuses on the poll's results for both possible Republican nominees and the Democratic candidate.
- Source selection — The findings are attributed to a university polling center; no campaign's account is privileged.
Republished with credit
Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.
15 stories · 79–83 · updated Oct 7, 2026
This is USA Today's own score, and this article is credited to USA Today. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.
A Texas Southern University poll found Democrat James Talarico statistically tied with either Republican John Cornyn or Ken Paxton in hypothetical November Senate matchups as early voting began in the Republican runoff.
A Texas Southern University survey of 1,223 likely November voters, conducted April 22 through May 6 with a reported margin of error of plus or minus 2.80%, found Talarico statistically tied with both potential Republican nominees. The poll reported Talarico at 46% favorable and 35% unfavorable, compared with 42% favorable and 48% unfavorable for Paxton and 37% favorable and 49% unfavorable for Cornyn.
In hypothetical November matchups, the poll showed Cornyn leading Talarico 45% to 44%, and Paxton and Talarico tied at 45% each. Early voting had begun in the May 26 Republican runoff between Cornyn and Paxton; the winner would face Talarico and Libertarian Ted Brown in November.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSEDNo good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Cornyn in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Cornyn’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Texas attorney general and Republican Senate runoff candidate
Paxton's version of this story ↗President of the United States
Libertarian Senate candidate in Texas
Part of a bigger story
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