CBS poll finds Texas Senate race between Talarico and Paxton essentially tied
Talarico leads 65%-35% among voters who name cost of living their top issue; CBS says turnout will decide the race.
A CBS News/YouGov poll of Texas voters taken Oct. 8-16 has Democrat James Talarico (St Rep-D Texas) at 51% and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton at 49% among likely voters, inside the poll's ±3.5-point margin of error (±3.4 for its 1,492 registered voters). Cost of living is the top issue, named by 56% of likely voters, and those voters back Talarico 65%-35%, per CBS poll graphics reported by the Texas Gazette. CBS says Talarico also leads on perceived character, while Paxton benefits from the state's Republican lean and from stronger Texas support for the Trump administration's deportation program than in CBS's latest national poll; CBS's write-up gives no figure for that gap.