A new statewide poll places the Texas U.S. Senate race within the margin of error. On the Second Amendment, Ken Paxton and James Talarico offer Texans two radically different choices.
A new poll shows the Texas U.S. Senate race is too close for gun owners to ignore.
The Texas Southern University survey found Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton 47% to 45%, with Libertarian Ted Brown at 2% and 6% of likely voters undecided.
That two-point difference falls within the poll’s 2.83-point margin of error, leaving the race effectively tied. The survey questioned 1,200 likely Texas voters between July 27 and July 30.
But while Paxton and Talarico may be separated by only two points in the poll, their records on the Second Amendment could not be further apart.
Paxton Put His Commitments in Writing
Paxton completed and returned the Texas Gun Rights Candidate Survey 100% pro-gun.
That means Paxton did not rely on vague campaign language or carefully worded promises. He placed his Second Amendment commitments in writing and signed his name to them.
Texas Gun Rights has the completed survey on file and will use those written answers to hold him accountable if elected.
Paxton has also been endorsed by Texas Gun Rights PAC, the National Association for Gun Rights PAC and Gun Owners of America.
NAGR PAC cited Paxton’s 100% pro-gun survey and his lawsuit challenging ATF’s rule targeting private firearm sales. GOA cited his involvement in legal challenges to the pistol-brace rule, suppressor restrictions, and ATF regulations affecting private sales and gun-show transactions.
The survey establishes what Paxton has promised to do.
His record and endorsements provide additional evidence for gun owners evaluating whether he can be trusted to follow through.
Talarico Built His Record With the Gun Confiscation Lobby
Talarico has spent his statewide campaign attempting to present himself as a reasonable moderate.
His record in the Texas House tells a different story.
Texas Gun Rights previously exposed that Talarico hired Ana Lopez, a former leader of the University of Texas “Cocks Not Glocks” protest movement, to work in his legislative office.
She was not brought in to answer phones or handle scheduling.
According to TXGR’s reporting, Lopez helped work on gun-control legislation while serving on Talarico’s staff.
Talarico’s own public statements also reveal how he views the Second Amendment.
He has compared gun restrictions to permits for political demonstrations and invoked the phrase “well regulated” to argue for greater government authority over the right to keep and bear arms.
That treats a constitutional right as a government-managed privilege — one that politicians may burden with licenses, fees, databases, delays, and criminal penalties.
“Ken Paxton did not hide behind focus-group language. He signed his name to a 100% pro-gun survey and put his commitments to Texas gun owners in writing,” said Chris McNutt, president of Texas Gun Rights.
“James Talarico built his gun-policy operation with help from the gun confiscation lobby and spent years treating the Second Amendment like a permission slip from government. Texans are not choosing between two similar candidates — they are choosing between written no-compromise commitments and a record of betrayal.”
The Poll Exposes the Stakes
The poll found Talarico receiving support from 97% of Democrats, while Paxton was supported by only 85% of Republicans.
Talarico also held a large lead among independents, while Paxton faced a 57% unfavorable rating among likely voters.
Those numbers may change before Election Day.
But gun owners cannot assume Texas will remain pro-gun without their involvement.
Talarico’s campaign is attempting to soften and repackage a record built alongside the gun confiscation lobby. Paxton has given gun owners a written standard by which he can be judged.
Texas Gun Rights will continue exposing the records, staffing decisions, public statements, and survey answers of candidates seeking power over your Second Amendment rights.
Chip in today to help Texas Gun Rights expose gun-ban politicians and hold every candidate accountable for their promises to gun owners.
