With the 2026 midterm primary less than six months away, many Texas voters are still not sure where their vote will go in the hotly-contested U.S. Senate battle.

As it stands now, most Texas voters remain undecided or support candidates who have not even entered the race yet, according to a recent survey from the nonpartisan Texas Public Opinion Research.

The survey polled 843 Texas voters between Aug. 27 and Aug. 29.

Texas Democrats are hoping that former congressman and gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke will jump in the race, with 27% of respondents giving him top marks, followed closely by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, who nabbed the support of 26% of respondents.

Though neither has officially entered the Senate race, they both polled significantly higher than the two candidates currently in the Democratic tug-of-war: former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, who lost his bid to oust U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz two years ago, polled at 13%, and state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, who claimed just 7%.

On the Republican ticket, incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) led his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 32% to 26%. The poll marks the first to show Cornyn with a multiple percentage point lead over Paxton.

Still, many voters remain undecided — 18% of Democrats and 29% of Republicans.

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Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Beto O’Rourke leads early US Senate poll despite not entering 2026 Texas race
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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