A new Fox News poll has Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful and Austin state Rep. James Talarico not only leading Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton overall, but performing strongly

The poll released Thursday  gave Talarico a 3-point edge over Paxton in the Senate showdown. It showcased growing Black voter support for Talarico,

with 87% of Black respondents compared to Paxton's 13%. 

This finding echoes polling by the Texas Politics Project and the New York Times/Sienna, which also suggested Talarico may be performing strongly

with Black voters despite recent public discourse about his support among them.

The TPP June poll found that 67% of Black voters surveyed supported Talarico. This was notably a significant showing compared to past Democratic Senate campaigns, in which former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred drew 47% of the state's Black voters in 2024, and Beto O'Rourke received 49% in 2018. 

The New York Times/Sienna June findings showed even higher support for Talarico, with 80% of likely Black voters saying they would vote for him if the election were held the day they were surveyed. 

According to the Fox News poll, Talarico performed best with Black voters, moderates, voters under 30, Hispanic voters, women and voters with college degrees. 

"Texas deserves a senator that will fight for Black Texans. It's why James stands up to racist redistricting maps, champions HBCU funding, and supports programs that invest in Black owned businesses, increase access to capital, and provide home ownership grants to Black communities," Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis told the Statesman.

"While corrupt Ken Paxton attacks Black Texans through voter suppression efforts, James is hosting town halls, campaigning with down ballot candidates, and focusing on issues like maternal mortality, lowering costs, and passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to deliver for Black communities taken for granted by both political parties."

The poll's findings come amid growing debate about Talarico's standing among Black voters and Black elected officials. A point that was emphasized during his two recent town halls on the campaign trail in Houston and DeSoto, which were aimed atBlack voters. 

Talarico fielded a mixed bag of questions for more than an hour in Houston, some supportive of Talarico, others opposed. 

At the Houston stop, Talarico debuted what he described as a $25 million investment for Black voter outreach. 

"I'm committing to you here that we will be putting resources where our mouth is, and we're going to be reaching out to these voters across the state so that we can win this race in November," Talarico said to the Houston crowd. "I don't want any Texan to vote for me just because they don't like Ken Paxton. I want people to be excited about what we're trying to do in this movement." 

Talarico also pointed to time he has spent campaigning in Black communities, such as delivering the commencement address at Paul Quinn College, a historically Black college

in Dallas, as he responded to calls for greater engagement with Black voters.

Talarico has also appeared alongside Black candidates in local races this election cycle. Among these events was a stop in Harris County to join the Democratic nominee for Harris County judge, Letitia Plummer, and a block walk in DeSoto with Damarcus Offord, candidate for Dallas County clerk. 

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This article originally published at Fox News poll shows Talarico leading Paxton, drawing strong Black voter support.