AUSTIN, Texas — A heated U.S. Senate race in Texas entered its final stretch on Sunday with candidates on both sides of the aisle making final pitches to voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary, the nation\u2019s first big contest of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn<\/a> is trying to hold on to the seat he has held since first being elected in 2002, but finds himself in the toughest race of his long career against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton<\/a> and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cComplacency is a killer,\u201d Cornyn told voters Saturday at a seafood restaurant in The Woodlands, a Houston suburb. \u201cIt kills relationships. It kills careers.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats haven\u2019t won a Senate race in Texas since 1988, but they see an opening this year to help boost their long-shot hopes of recapturing a Senate majority, especially if Republicans nominate Paxton, who is popular with MAGA voters but has had years of legal problems.<\/a><\/p>\n On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico<\/a>, a self-described policy wonk who emphasizes his crossover appeal to Republicans, faces U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett<\/a>, a rhetorical brawler on Capitol Hill who received a high-profile endorsement<\/a> Friday from former Vice President Kamala Harris. <\/p>\n Candidates and political groups are pouring money into the race<\/a> at a record pace, partly fueled by Talarico’s fundraising and allies of Cornyn trying to save his long career.<\/p>\n Heading into Tuesday\u2019s primary elections, the cost of advertising and reserved advertising time had topped $110 million, the most ever for a Senate primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact<\/a>. <\/p>\n