Overview
- On Tuesday Sean Hannity told guest Bill de Blasio he did not believe a Fox News survey that showed Democrat James Talarico ahead of Republican Ken Paxton, and he used the segment to sharply criticize Talarico's views.
- The Fox News poll sampled 1,006 Texas registered voters and found Talarico leading 51% to 48% with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points and showed 24% of non‑MAGA Republicans backing the Democrat.
- Talarico holds a large small‑donor advantage reported in mid‑July campaign filings, while Paxton has struggled with donor hesitation and is trying to shore up support with a tax plan and statewide events.
- Paxton’s campaign continues to face long‑running legal and ethics controversies that Democrats highlight, and a late‑June Supreme Court ruling now allows national Republican committees to coordinate more directly with his campaign.
- The dispute over the poll underscores broader media and partisan divisions and adds unpredictability ahead of scheduled televised debates and expected outside spending that could decide turnout among independents, Black and Latino voters.