The Brief Democrat James Talarico has opened up a lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race in Texas, according to a new poll. The poll of likely Texas voters was conducted by Texas Public Opinion Research between July 15 and July 17. Affordability is the top issue being considered by Texas voters, according to the poll. According to the poll, 45% of voters favor Talarico while 40% favor Paxton. The poll found that Black and Latino voters strongly favor Talarico, while white voters favor Paxton.