Austin, Texas - A new poll shows Democrat James Talarico pushing past Trump-endorsed candidate Ken Paxton in the crucial race for a longtime GOP-held US Senate seat in Texas.

Since Paxton secured the endorsement of President Donald Trump and went on to win the Republican primaries for US Senate race in Texas, he has largely sat side-by-side Talarico in the polls.

This was certainly the case in a New York Times poll taken in June which showed both candidates deadlocked at 47% after surveying 656 likely Texas voters.

Such a result, while not definitive, was a stunning achievement for Talarico, who is running for a Texas seat that has been held by the Republicans for decades.

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Now, a shocking new Fox News poll puts Talarico three points ahead of Paxton, at 51% versus 48% in the state's Senate context.

This is because polling found Democrats are more motivated to vote for Talarico than Republicans are for Paxton, and are generally more politically engaged in this midterm election cycle.

Additionally, 68% of independents said they'd throw their support behind Talarico, and 98% of Democrats agreed. Meanwhile, only 89% of Republicans say they'll vote for Paxton.

Talarico is especially strong among Black and Hispanic voters, moderates, those under 30-years-old, women, and those with a higher education qualification.

Meanwhile, white evangelicals, those with no college degree, rural voters, men, people over 65-year-old, and other highly religious types are likely to vote for Paxton.

"Although Paxton dominated Cornyn in the GOP primary, that bruising contest left scars," Republican pollster Daron Shaw was cited as saying by Fox News.

"He has considerable work to do with non-MAGA Republicans and independents, and that undoubtedly requires aggressively tying Talarico to the Democratic Party’s far left."