Texas and Iowa Senate races make major shift to toss-ups: report

The Cook Political Report has moved the Texas and Iowa Senate races into the toss-up category, heralding a fiercer clash for control of the Senate on Thursday as Republicans navigate a compromised contender in the Lone Star State and a shifting political environment that could favor Democrats in Iowa.

Cook Political Report’s Senate, Jessica Taylor further said in her analysis that polling has shown Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico with a positive standing while surveys have shown Texas GOP candidate Ken Paxton with strong public support yet underperforming even a generic Republican in GOP polling.

Taylor further analyzes that in addition to Paxton’s negatives, key question remains of which Republican groups will invest in the Texas race as Senate Republicans committed substantial funds to support Sen. John Cornyn.

“It’s important to note that Talarico also has liabilities that Republicans can — and will — exploit, including his comments that ‘God is non-binary’ and that there are multiple genders,”

“He’ll soon be hit with millions in ads designed to paint him as outside of the mainstream,” Taylor wrote.

The report further underlined that some Republicans may refuse to vote for the Texas attorney general but might also be appalled by the idea of casting a ballot for the Democratic state lawmaker leaving them the option to vote for a third candidate.

Furthermore, The Cook Political Report also understood that Republicans hold a clear financial advantage over Democrats with a Supreme Court ruling that allows campaigns to coordinate with independent expenditure committees.

Taylor further penned, “Republicans have an unmistakable financial advantage that could revitalize their sagging candidates, but it may not be able to make up for the sizable voter enthusiasm gap that Democrats have on their side.”