TX-SEN: Talarico leads Cornyn and Paxton in general election matchups [View all]

James Talarico narrowly beats both Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton in a general election, according to an internal campaign poll shared first with POLITICO. In a hypothetical general election matchup, Talarico leads Cornyn by 2 points — 43 percent to 41 percent — and leads Paxton by just 1 point, 44 percent to 43 percent.

The poll validates what some in the MAGA movement have argued is not a significant difference when it comes to electability between Cornyn and Paxton, with the results indicating Paxton holds a slight edge.

The poll of 900 likely voters, conducted by Impact Research from March 12-17, shows both Cornyn and Paxton are “deeply unpopular,” according to the memo.

Paxton is viewed unfavorably by an 18-point margin (37 percent favorable to 55 percent unfavorable), and Cornyn faces even higher negatives, facing a 33-point deficit (27 percent favorable to 60 percent unfavorable). Both men are more disliked than Sen. Ted Cruz, who carries a 47 percent favorable to 52 percent unfavorable split.




https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/03/20/congress/texas-senate-talarico-cornyn-paxton-poll-00837336