Texans were stampeding to the polls on Monday, with turnout on the opening day of early voting breaking records across the state.
asserted
turnout → stampede → state
And Cowtown, as Fort Worth is fondly known, was at the heart of it all.
asserted
Worth → know → it
The two men vying for Texas's seat in the Senate – Republican Ken Paxton and his Democrat rival James Talarico – were both in the city on Monday, holding dueling 7pm rallies a stone's throw from each other.
asserted
men → vie → other
In one corner stood the grizzled veteran Paxton, 63, the three-term Texas attorney general, urging his supporters to keep their faith with the MAGA marvel.
asserted
veteran → stand → marvel
In the other was Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative and former middle school teacher, who put his training as a Presbyterian minister on hold to run.
asserted
who → put → hold
If successful, he'll become the first Democrat elected by Texans to the Senate in 33 years.
asserted
he → become → years
Talarico's team knows they have a tough task in hand.
asserted
they → know → hand
So the Round Top, Texas-born politician plays up his underdog status, while his support staff cannily cram in the crowds.
asserted
staff → bear → crowds
Republican Ken Paxton, 63, three-term Texas attorney general, has been urging his supporters to keep their faith with the MAGA marvel as he eyes a seat in the Texas Senate
If elected, James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative and former middle school teacher, would be the first Democrat elected by Texans to the Senate in 33 years
On Monday night he was in a school gymnasium, positioned in the middle of the arena surrounded by an estimated 1,450 people who his team showed on social media lining up around the block to get inside.
asserted
team → urge → block
Adopting the Obama look of speaking with just a microphone in his hand, Talarico spoke to the enthusiastic crowd who obligingly waved 'Talarico for Senate' signs behind every camera shot.
asserted
who → adopt → shot
Paxton, by contrast, was in the cavernous ballroom of T&P Station Wedding and Events – an interesting choice for a man whose wife of 38 years is in the process of divorcing him 'on Biblical grounds,' owing to his multiple affairs.
asserted
wife → divorce → affairs
Reportedly, a crowd of 350 were herded into the room and given American flags to wave as the lumbering attorney general delivered his speech from behind a podium.
uncertain
general → herd → podium
'Awesome,' he said rather unenthusiastically, as he took to the stage.
asserted
he → say → stage
'We love you, Kenny!' shouted one man in response.
asserted
man → love → response
At the mention of Joe Biden, and how Paxton 'sued him 107 times in four years,' the crowd erupted.
asserted
crowd → sue → years
'People seem to like that line,' said Paxton with a smirk.
asserted
Paxton → seem → smirk
Talarico was derided to boos as 'the most radical Democrat to ever run statewide in Texas'.
asserted
Talarico → deride → Texas
'No matter how many commercials he runs lying about his record, James Talarico is a Democratic Socialist just like AOC, just like Mamdani,' he said.
asserted
he → run → Mamdani
Supported by Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health and human services secretary, Paxton presented himself as a champion of 'common sense' Texans.
asserted
Paxton → support → Texans
'If we lose Texas, we lose America,' warned Paxton, claiming that Talarico would usher in Sharia law, let 'boys play in girls' sports' and outlaw oil and gas.
asserted
boys → lose → oil
Most menacing of all, Paxton told the Stetson-clad crowd, was that Talarico was a vegan – a claim the Democrat has repeatedly debunked, saying he eats barbecue.
uncertain
he → tell → barbecue
But Paxton, the scandal-scarred political veteran, knows he has to try everything possible to stop the upstart's surge.
asserted
he → scar → surge
Donald Trump easily won Texas in 2024, walking away with just over 56 percent of the vote.
asserted
Trump → win → vote
But now it hangs in the balance, with Paxton and Talarico neck-and-neck in recent polling.
asserted
Paxton → hang → polling
In July 2025, Angela Paxton filed for divorce on 'biblical grounds,' explicitly alleging adultery
Paxton was seen with his mistress in London during America's 250th birthday celebrations
If Texas turns blue, there is a real chance that Republicans could lose control of the senate.
uncertain
Republicans → file → senate
And Paxton appears to be underperforming, despite the world's richest man, Elon Musk, now a Texas resident, pouring $158 million into a race that is now on track to be the most expensive non-presidential campaign ever.
asserted
that → appear → track
Half a billion dollars has been spent on advertising.
asserted
dollars → spend → advertising
Trump has endorsed Paxton, the North Dakota-born, California-raised politician, but admitted he is 'a pain in the ass' with bad dress sense.
asserted
he → endorse → sense
'Some may not like the way he dresses,' the president said.
uncertain
president → like → way
'I don't.'
asserted
I → do → ?
Even the mother of Paxton's four children, his estranged wife, admits he's hard to love.
asserted
he → admit → children
'In a general election, it's not as much about the individual players on the team; it's about getting the whole team across the finish line,' said Angela Paxton, without mentioning her estranged husband's name.
asserted
Paxton → get → name
'Either we hold every Republican seat, or we hand the future of Texas to the other team.'
asserted
we → hold → team
Paxton's mistress was nowhere to be seen on Monday night inside the wedding venue chosen to host him.
asserted
mistress → see → him
But, Paxton warned, there was danger lurking across town – in the shape of his Democrat challenger.
asserted
Paxton → warn → challenger
'California already has two senators - it doesn't need a third one,' said Paxton, noting his opponent's April 2021 comments that there were six genders and his argument that God was non-binary.
asserted
God → have → comments
Talarico has attempted to walk back these comments, saying on the campaign trail that he was being 'provocative.
asserted
he → attempt → trail
'The idea that we can't define God using human categories, not only did I say that, but the late Charlie Kirk said that,' said Talarico at a CNN Town Hall in Fort Worth last week.
asserted
Talarico → define → Worth
'The late Pope Benedict said that.
asserted
Benedict → say → that
And so, yes, I was doing it maybe in an annoying way.
asserted
I → do → way
…and 22 more, not listed.
The Aporia
