As progressive independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont rallied supporters in Houston on Tuesday, two of Texas Democrats' highest-profile candidates were notably absent.
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa did not attend Sanders' Houston stop on his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, an absence that comes as polling suggests that democratic socialism remains unpopular with most Texas voters. Both candidates are trying to appeal beyond the Democratic base in a state where winning a top office requires support from independents and crossover Republican voters.
...
Political scientists say Sanders' campaign events give Republicans an opportunity to portray Texas Democrats as aligned with the party's left wing.
"Any effort by Bernie Sanders is likely to be more of a negative than a positive for Texas Democrats," Rice University political scientist Mark Jones told Newsweek. "They don't really need to worry about enthusiasm. Donald Trump does that all on his own in terms of motivating Democrats to turn out."
Newsweek has reached out to the Sanders, Talarico and Hinojosa campaigns for comment.
What the Texas Polls Show
A June 2026 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll found democratic socialism was viewed favorably by 29 percent of Texans and unfavorably by 46 percent, leaving the ideology 17 points underwater statewide.
Because of that, Jones argued, appearing with Sanders could create more problems than benefits for candidates trying to build broader coalitions.
"I believe James Talarico is right. That's a smart thing to do," Jones said of the Senate candidate's decision not to attend Tuesday's rally. "Any Democratic candidate who shows up probably has been poorly advised."
...
University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus offered a similar assessment.
"Senator Sanders's visit complicates the Democrats' centralized messaging on affordability," Rottinghaus told Newsweek. "His more progressive view gels with that take, but also opens up the doors to other kinds of progressive issues Democrats may not want to use as their closing argument to voters."
Rottinghaus said Republicans have spent much of the election cycle attacking what they characterize as Sanders-style socialism.
"Texas Republicans have been running against Bernie Sanders-style socialism all cycle and his visit is likely to generate opposition among Republicans as much as support among Democrats," he said.
Republicans have already sought to capitalize on Sanders' Texas visit. On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott's campaign released a statement titled, "SANDERS' TEXAS VISIT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HINOJOSA'S HIGH-TAX RECORD," trying to tie the Democratic gubernatorial nominee to Sanders and the policies Republicans frequently label socialist.
Vice President JD Vance flew into Tyler on Tuesday, days after Trump's third trip to Texas in a month. He told the crowd that electing Talarico was the only way to "screw up" the state's future, and said the Democrat takes positions that clash with the moderate image he is now presenting to statewide voters.
"James Talarico needs to take a week or two to get his own head examined because he's lost his damn mind," Vance said.
What Early Voting Turnout in Texas Shows
Both parties see signs of hope in early voting turnout in Texas so far. The state's urban centers, which are Democratic powerhouses, showed record turnout for a midterm, but so did the heavily Republican suburbs.
The Harris County Elections Department reported on X that by 3:30 p.m. Monday, more than 70,000 voters had been processed, surpassing the previous record of 63,188 set in 2018, with 3 1/2 hours remaining.
Dallas County also broke its record for the first day of early voting of any election. Judge Clay Jenkins reported on X that the county had 76,069 voters Monday, surpassing the previous record of 60,573 voters in 2020.
Turnout in El Paso County on the first day of early voting was the second highest on record for a midterm election.
Voting records were also set in the GOP stronghold of Denton County, suggesting both sides flocked to the polls Monday to make their voices heard.
Texas Democrats Rally for Voter Turnout
Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke acknowledged Democrats' long history of disappointment in the state but argued this cycle feels different.
"I've been doing this a long time. I, like you, have had my heart broken by Texas more than once," O'Rourke told supporters at the Sanders rally. "But the way that I look at it, it just makes our hearts stronger, beat more powerfully, and in this moment, all of our hearts are coming together at the right time, right when we needed it."
Sanders focused less on electoral politics and more on his normal talking points of economic inequality, healthcare and the influence of wealthy donors in American politics.
"In the richest country in the history of the world, we should be able to provide a decent standard of living for every man, woman, and child," he said.
The self-described democratic socialist received roughly 33 percent of the vote in Texas' 2016 Democratic presidential primary, losing decisively to Hillary Clinton. Four years later, Sanders won about 30 percent of the vote, finishing behind eventual Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who received about 35 percent.
What Latest Polls Show in Texas
Abbott, who is making a bid to become Texas' longest-serving governor, is ahead in most recent polls by about 3 to 4 percentage points. The RealClearPolitics average of polls on Tuesday, for example, has Abbott ahead by 48.7 percent to Hinojosa's 45.3 percent.
The latest CBS News/YouGov poll, conducted among 1,460 likely voters between October 8 and 16, gave Abbott 52 percent to Hinojosa's 48 percent. A University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll, which surveyed 2,000 likely voters between October 10 and 14, found Abbott ahead by three points, 49 percent to Hinojosa's 46 percent.
Talarico has led most recent polls over Paxton by 2 or 3 percentage points. The RealClearPolitics average of polls on Tuesday has Talarico leading by 2.2 points—48.5 percent to Paxton's 46.3 percent.
The most recent survey in that average, a CBS News/YouGov poll of 1,458 likely voters conducted from October 8 to 16, had Talarico up 51 percent to 49 percent.
Paxton has led in only one of the six most recent public surveys. An InsiderAdvantage poll of 1,200 likely voters between October 13 and 14, showed Paxton with a narrow lead, 49 percent to Talarico’s 48 percent. Most of the leads are inside the margin of error.
Early voting started Monday and ends October 30 in Texas.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins