Texas politics takes center stage at 2026 RNC Convention

DALLAS, TEXAS (Gray DC) – Texas politics took center stage at the 2026 RNC Midterm convention, specifically, the Texas race for US Senate is getting a lot of attention.

The race between Ken Paxton, Republican and James Talarico, Democrat, is unusually close.

At an event in Dallas that aimed to highlight the high cost of groceries for Texas shoppers, Democratic candidate James Talarico said his message is a threatening contrast to the one happening down the road on the RNC’s midterm convention floor.

State Rep. James Talarico, U.S. Senate Candidate spoke with Gray Media’s Stetson Miller, “The reason they’re here in Texas is because they know that our campaign is building momentum. They know that our movement is on track to win this race in November and deliver for the working people of the state and eliminate the corruption that they all profit off of.”

The convention is meant to help Republicans win over voters across the country in November but a key focus here this week is Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. According to recent polling, he’s facing an uphill battle in the Senate race, an unusual trend in a state that’s typically deeply red.

But on the convention floor, Paxton expressed optimism while going after Talarico, “He is a Democratic Socialist who never met a tax increase he didn’t love. As a matter of fact, he voted to tax your income in Texas.”

Other Republicans are hoping the convention shows they are most focused on what Americans care about. Gray Media’s Jon Decker spoke with Florida Senator Rick Scott. “Well, first off, I think with Democrats wanting to destroy our gas, oil, gas industry and raise prices. This is a president who’s doing his best to keep America safe. So I’m making sure Iran didn’t have a nuclear weapon to kill us and to keep gas prices down. But really, if you want to get prices down, you got to balance the budget. That’s Congress’s responsibility.

Talarico is trying to highlight the differences between his Democratic policies and what Ken Paxton, a Trump supporter, would bring to the US Senate and to Washington.

During his speech, President Donald Trump insisted Ken Paxton must be elected, and indicated he’d return to campaign for the Republican.