As of Monday, Election Day is 36 days away. Meanwhile, nine September polls at Real Clear Politics are showing James Talarico, the Democrat, leading Republican candidate Ken Paxton. Two of the nine polls show Talarico with a six-point lead, and four others show a single-digit lead.
The RCP average of those six polls, combined with three others, show the Democrat 2.9 points ahead.
“Despite what the polling may say, I think the energy on the ground is very different,” Matthew Williams, a Texas-based political writer, told AFR host Jenna Ellis.
Williams, who hosts “The Prudentialist” channel on YouTube, told Ellis the polls likely reflect voter frustration over grocery prices and gas prices.
“It doesn’t matter that James Talarico is a heretic crazy person,” Williams said of the youthful Talarico, a Democrat fond of quoting scripture.
If the polls are true, and Talarico wins the Senate seat, Texan would have empowered a candidate who openly opposes the oil and gas industry in his own state.
In 2020, during his re-election campaign for state Senate, Talarico claimed fossil fuels are destroying the planet, and he predicted the oil and gas industry in Texas is “not gonna last” because of it.
Talarico’s audience was the Sierra Club, the environmental group, but the state senator also used his appearance to criticize capitalism and “white supremacy,” and tie them to climate change.
“The moment that [Talarico] gets into office, he is going to vote further to the left than Chairman Mao,” Williams warned.
AFN previously reported that Williams’ skepticism is shared by none other than Talarico’s liberal ministers at his Austin church. After the Senate candidate suddenly backtracked on his controversial stances, a lesbian chaplain at the church predicted Talarico will “change his tune” if he’s elected in November.
Talarico recently stated he would "absolutely" support a national ban on gender-mutilation procedures for minors. That sudden pivot on a controversial issue comes after he voted against legislation that banned the procedures in 2023 and after stating the people he loves most are "trans" children.
Among his most bizarre comments, Talarico has stated God is "non-binary." In another reversal, Talarico told Fox News he "missed the mark" on that topic.
Paxton has used law to fight liberals
Turning to the Paxton campaign, Williams said the state attorney general has a proven record of using his state office to fight liberals, from the Obama administration to the present day.
“Paxton actually has a real depth of issues, and a record that he is running on,” Ellis agreed.
Williams, who is watching the Senate race, said Paxton's campaign should be reminding voters of his legal accomplishments more often.
Williams defended the scandal-plagued candidate for fighting and defeating “establishment” Republicans who tried to impeach him.
After defeating Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary, Williams said the incumbent senator is refusing to back Paxton after his primary loss, and he is probably betting against him.
Paxton trounced Sen. Cornyn in the May primary, capturing the GOP nomination 63%-36% percent.
“I think that a lot of Texas voters on the ground kind of are beginning to understand the stakes a little more,” Williams shared. “I think that they're finally getting out of that post-primary haze.”
