Trump Brings Seven-Day Blitz to Texas With Senate Seat on the Line

Trump Brings Seven-Day Blitz to Texas With Senate Seat on the Line

A Gulf Coast-to-West Texas Doubleheader

Seven days out from the midterms, President Donald Trump campaigned across Texas on Tuesday, October 27, with rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock. He spoke at the Port of Corpus Christi in the afternoon before heading to the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center for an evening rally. It was his third trip to Texas in less than a month, a sign of how central the state has become to the Republican closing strategy.

One Mission: Lift Paxton Over the Finish Line

The stated purpose of the trip was to boost state Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, against Democrat James Talarico. Trump shared the Corpus Christi stage with House candidates Monica De La Cruz and Eric Flores and state Senate member Mayes Middleton, who is running to succeed Paxton as attorney general, folding down-ballot races into the presidential-style rally. Support for Republican Governor Greg Abbott's reelection bid was also part of the pitch.

Polls Too Close in a State Red for 32 Years

Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas in 32 years, and Trump carried the state by almost 14 percentage points in 2024. But this year's Senate race is effectively tied. A Fox News poll released last Wednesday put Paxton and Talarico at 49 percent each among likely voters, while an Emerson College poll showed Talarico ahead by two points. Talarico has led in a majority of polls since August, and polling averages describe only a narrow edge. Nationally, Republicans are defending their congressional majorities amid anxiety about turnout.

Turnout Pitch and Attacks in Corpus Christi

In Corpus Christi, Trump called Paxton a good man and told the crowd, "I need the help of Ken Paxton." He urged supporters to treat the midterm like his own race: "If you get out, and if you all vote, we will win in a landslide." He attacked Talarico on guns, meat and oil, saying, "If you're running in Texas and if you don't like guns, and if you don't like meat and if you don't like oil, I think you should be losing by a lot." Before leaving Washington, Trump said he would accept next week's results "if they are honest." Elon Musk amplified the attacks online, calling Talarico "lunatic left" to his large following.

Dueling Rallies and What Comes Next

Talarico refused to cede the day, campaigning in Amarillo and holding a dueling rally in Lubbock beginning at 7 p.m. Trump's Lubbock event opened doors at 2:30 p.m. with remarks expected at 6 p.m., after a planned Waco stop was canceled and replaced with Corpus Christi. Early voting in Texas runs through October 30, with Election Day on November 3. The final week is now a turnout contest in a state Republicans long took for granted.