President Donald Trump and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will be rallying voters in Texas, in the high-stakes battle over control of Congress and the president's legislative agenda hanging in the balance for the final two years of his term.
Trump, on his fourth trip to the Lone Star State since Labor Day, will support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton at rallies at the Port of Corpus Christi at 3 p.m. ET and the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 7 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Talarico will hold an 8 p.m. ET rally at the Fiesta Center in Lubbock, after visiting Corpus Christi on Saturday.
The Texas race, one of the most closely watched in the country, will help determine control of the Senate, which Republicans now lead 53-47. Texas hasn't
elected a Democrat statewide since 1994, but Paxton and Talarico are in a dead heat, according to an average of recent polling by Real Clear Politics.
The stakes are high because a Democratic Senate could block Trump's judicial nominees, and lawmakers have threatened to investigate his administration.
Big money poured into Texas Senate race
11:50 AM ET, October 27 2026, Bart JansenBoth parties are pushing to attract voters in the closing days of the campaign before Nov. 3, with campaign spending following the unofficial state motto that "everything is bigger in Texas."
Democratic nominee James Talarico raised more than $146 million through Oct. 14, according to Federal Election Commission reports. GOP Nominee Ken Paxton raised $22 million, including for the Republican primary, when he knocked off four-term Sen. John Cornyn.
Groups outside the campaigns spent $153 million opposing Talarico and $13 million supporting him through Oct. 20, according to OpenSecrets.org, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign spending. Outside groups spent $91 million supporting Paxton and $41 million opposing him.
Can Democrat Bobby Pulido win back South Texas voters?
11:49 AM ET, October 27 2026, Rebecca MorinBobby Pulido thinks he's the right type of Democrat to win back a House seat in South Texas.
Pulido, a two-time Latin Grammy-winning artist is locked in a tight race in Texas’ competitive 15th Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Monica De La Cruz. De La Cruz was the first Republican ever elected in that district, flipping Democrats’ century-long stronghold in 2022. And she will appear with Trump on Tuesday at his rally at the Port of Corpus Christi, a boost for the congresswoman who has been trailing in recent polling behind Pulido.
From Hidalgo County, a mostly Mexican American community nestled along the Rio Grande River that divides the United States and Mexico, the district is a long area stretching northwest outside the western suburbs of San Antonio and toward the northern suburbs of Corpus Christi.
The Tejano-singer-turned-politician went viral earlier this year after he began performing at quinceañeras, a right of passage for many Hispanic girls once they turn 15. That came after De La Cruz, his opponent who had never served in public office before being elected in 2022, said the race “isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, Talarico both rally Texas voters as Senate fight rages: Live updates
