James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, waits in line with his girlfriend, Brianna Menard, and his parents, Tamara and Mark Talarico, to vote at Gus Garcia Recreation Center in Austin on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
AUSTIN – James Talarico joined the early voting rush Friday, casting his ballot in a Texas Senate race drawing voters to the polls at a pace rarely seen outside presidential elections.
The Democratic candidate voted as Dallas County and other major Texas counties reported turnout far ahead of the 2022 midterms. Through Thursday, more than 248,000 ballots had been cast in Dallas County, a record for that point in early voting.
“We gotta keep that up,” Talarico said after voting. “We gotta keep our foot on the gas. We gotta make sure that every Texan gets out and votes and makes their voice heard in this process.”
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Talarico, however, didn’t spend much time waiting to vote.
The Austin state representative arrived at a community center in Northeast Austin to cheers from some voters and joined the line with his girlfriend and parents. A few minutes later, an election worker ushered all four the front as TV cameras and photographers gathered around them.
The decision to move group ahead of others didn’t bother Austin resident Alex Ramirez, 31, who had been three spots in front of Talarico.
“It didn’t seem like he wanted to cut in front, but everybody in line was pretty much just like, ‘Go, it’s all good. We understand we don’t want you out here risking anything,’” said Ramirez, who added that he was supporting Talarico for the Senate.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during an early vote rally in support of his campaign as the Republican candidate for U.S. senate seat in Texas. The campaign event was held at Matt’s Rancho Martinez, 401 Central Expressway South, in Allen, on October 19, 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Talarico’s Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, cast his ballot Monday in Collin County, according to online county records. Unlike Talarico, Paxton did not alert the media in advance when he voted.
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Paxton’s campaign did not respond Friday to questions about voter turnout or his eligibility to vote in Collin County. The county’s Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Texas secretary of state in July, alleging he improperly voted from his former McKinney address.
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported that Paxton voted six times over two years while still registered at his former McKinney home. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, said in her divorce filing that he moved out in June 2024. The outlets linked him to a Denton County residence. Paxton’s campaign has maintained that he is a lawful voter.
Voters line up outside Haggard Library in Plano on the first day of early voting Monday.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
Early vote surge
Early voters are turning out in force across Texas, with the state’s 10 largest counties running ahead of the same point in the 2018 and 2022 midterms.
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Here’s how five major counties compare with the first four days of early voting in 2022:
Dallas: More than 248,000 ballots, up 81%.
Harris: More than 384,000 in-person votes, up 65%.
Tarrant: Nearly 197,000 ballots, up 54%.
Collin: More than 129,000 ballots, up 55%.
Denton: More than 120,000 votes, up 65%.
Back at the Austin polling place, another voter had a message about the importance of showing up.
Bernice Watson, 91, cast her ballot curbside as an election worker shielded her from the sun with an American flag umbrella.
With an “I voted early” sticker freshly affixed to her gray sweatshirt, Watson said she voted for Talarico because he sounded honest. “You listen to him, you listen to what he’s done, and it shows,” she said.
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Watson had hoped to meet Talarico, but he departed shortly after speaking with reporters, headed to an event in Temple and later a rally at the University of Texas at Austin.
She had a message for other Texans, regardless of their political allegiance: Vote.
“Get up and go do it,” she said.
Early voting ends Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
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