Dueling Talarico and Paxton rallies take place in Texas as polls show a dead heat in crucial contest that could determine control of Senate

Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton are holding competing rallies in Fort Worth with two weeks left before a closely watched Texas Senate election. Talarico has a narrow polling lead in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1993, making the race a potential factor in determining control of the Senate and the course of Donald Trump’s final two years in office.

A University of Houston poll puts Talarico at 48 per cent and Paxton at 46 per cent. Paxton is campaigning alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and has backing from outside spending, including funds from Elon Musk; Talarico has raised more from individual donors. Talarico has focused on living costs and presented himself as an alternative to the state’s Republican establishment, while Paxton has faced past corruption questions and was impeached by fellow Republicans before being acquitted.