DALLAS — Democrats see a rare opening in Texas, and James Talarico is giving them their clearest shot in years at turning one of the state’s two Senate seats blue. If he pulls off the upset, the former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian could knock the first brick loose in Texas’ red wall.

The polling and fundraising figures help explain why Democrats see that possibility.

To put it in perspective, Talarico’s polling leads are wider than those recorded against Ted Cruz in 2018, when Beto O’Rourke came closer than any Democrat in decades to winning a Texas Senate race. And the enthusiasm on the ground from those who spoke with Fox News Digital backs up the numbers.

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What’s more, Talarico’s campaign raised $64 million from July through September, more than three times Trump-backed candidate Ken Paxton’s $18 million haul over the same period. Since launching his campaign, Talarico has raised more than $146 million.

But Paxton, currently the state’s attorney general, has enjoyed Republican outside groups pouring more than $200 million into Texas to support him, nearly all of it bankrolled by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. Additionally, MAGA Inc., President Donald Trump’s principal super PAC, has spent another $33.7 million on ads backing Paxton, according to AdImpact.

At his Dallas rally on Thursday, Talarico underscored that divide by casting the race as a David and Goliath fight, telling supporters they were his weapon against powerful interests.

“David wasn’t as big or as strong as Goliath. He didn’t have as many weapons, but he had hope. He had faith, and he had a slingshot,” he said. “Dallas, you are my slingshot. The people of Texas are my slingshot.”

Talarico’s momentum has also shown up on the campaign trail.

‘That’s a lot of Talafreakos in one room’

Earlier this week, Talarico hopscotched across Texas, stopping in El Paso before holding events in Midland and Amarillo and drawing a larger-than-expected crowd in deep-red Lubbock on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Trump campaigned with Paxton about four miles away that same night, shifting his rally time so it overlapped with Talarico’s event.

The dueling rallies put the race’s divide on display. Talarico’s campaign said more than 4,000 people signed up for his Lubbock rally, prompting a move to a larger venue.

“I know that we’re not the only show in town tonight, and I appreciate all 4,000 of you that showed up here this evening,” Talarico said at the Fiesta Center in Lubbock on Oct. 27. “That’s a lot of Talafreakos in one room.”

The Democratic candidate and his supporters have embraced the moniker “Talafreako,” a nickname first given to him as a derogatory dig by Republicans and President Trump.

Voters at Talarico’s rallies in Lubbock told Fox News Digital that Trump’s repeated Texas visits signaled Republican anxiety, while Paxton backers remained confident the state would stay red after a costly and contentious primary that saw Republicans divided over Paxton and sitting Sen. John Cornyn, who was ultimately ousted in the May runoff.

“Trump’s in Lubbock? Trump’s in Lubbock, Texas? He’s scared, he is scared,” one supporter told Fox News Digital.

Natalie, from Friona, called Trump’s same-day rally a sign Republicans were “nervous.”

“I think it’s performative, like to come the exact same day as he is here,” she said.

Jenny, from Brownsville, told Fox News Digital outside Trump and Paxton’s rally that the race was “not close” and she predicted that “Paxton will wipe the floor” with Talarico.

DUELING RALLIES THRUST DEEP-RED LONE STAR TOWN INTO THE CENTER OF THE POLITICAL UNIVERSE

A Trump-appointed judge was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination as part of an ongoing judicial misconduct investigation after she called a Latino attorney a “white savior” who was intimidated by “Black excellence” due to his “White mediocrity” during a hearing.

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas, who is Black and Native American, was temporarily removed from her docket by the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council earlier this month, following a May judicial-conduct complaint filed by attorney Ezra Young, whose permission to practice before Brown had previously been revoked.

The complaint centered on Brown’s rhetoric toward Young during his appearance for a show-case hearing, in which he was facing sanctions over allegations from Brown that he shared sealed court filings online. Young represented a Black law professor who sued Southern Methodist University, alleging she was denied tenure because of discrimination. He joined the case in 2022 and appeared before Brown before the judge barred him from practicing in her courtroom.

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During the April hearing, Brown railed against Young, accusing him of “bullying” the black attorneys on the case.

“You’re the White savior, come to save all the stupid Black lawyers in Texas who need your help, from New York,” Brown later said, according to the transcript obtained by Bloomberg.

Brown repeatedly brought attention to Young’s skin color, calling him “white presenting” and “fair skinned” after Brown told her that he was a Latino.

“I think what’s happening here, quite candidly, is you are very intimidated for some reason, Mr. Young, with Black excellence, in light of your White mediocrity. Yeah. Right?,” Brown said. “You should write that down. I mean, you — I’m — you look like a White man, right?”

She also called Young a “Chad” which she said is the male version of “Karen.”

“It’s someone who calls the manager when they don’t get their way. They stomp their foot when the rules are supposed to apply to them, right?” Brown said.

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Brown also accused Young of sensationalizing the case after reading a news article that quoted his brief and referenced another law professor’s comparison of the Black professor’s treatment in the tenure dispute to a “lynching.”

“And so when I read a headline — a sensationalized, very racialized headline that says, ‘it’s like I’ve been lynched,’ and it’s literally got no connection to this case, I have to ask you, Mr. Social Media, Main Character Chad, White Hero, Savior, Loves to Help Black People Be An Ally, where the lynching in this case came from?” Brown said.

The release of the April court hearing transcripts come as Brown shared with lawyers, judges and several media outlets via email of Young’s complaint and her response.

Meanwhile, in a July 28 filing responding to Young’s complaint, Brown stood by her conduct.

“I do not believe my demeanor was inappropriate at any time, especially during the candid conversations about race,” Brown wrote.

“I take to heart the lessons I have learned from this experience and I ask the Chief Judge to weigh this candor, as well as my commitment to being mentored by senior judges with more experience in such situations when determining an appropriate disposition,” Brown wrote. “I realize the importance of public confidence in the judiciary and take to heart my role in fostering the public’s faith in it.”

President Donald Trump appointed Brown to the federal court in Texas in March 2019. She is the first Black woman to serve in that court.

Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson said she was not surprised Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, crossed party lines to endorse her Democratic opponent in the governor’s race.

Wilson told Fox News Digital that Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday because the two share similar views on taxation and Alaska’s oil industry.

“It should not surprise anyone. They’re two peas in a pod, and I can tell you that as governor,” Wilson told Fox News Digital.

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“It doesn’t surprise me that she is supporting the just keep taxing JKT,” Wilson continued. “You know the guy that supports an increase in income tax, the guy that wants to double the fuel tax here in Alaska, the guy that has said ‘Hey I’m gonna come after the oil companies,’ the guy that does not support paying out a full permanent fund dividend.”

In August, during a candidate forum hosted by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Kreiss-Tomkins said he believes “broad-based tax and revenues of that nature are likely going to be necessary to balance our budget.”

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Wilson argued that Kreiss-Tomkins’ economic policies align with Murkowski’s, accusing both politicians of supporting what she described as “socialist policies.”

The Republican candidate said she has been “sounding the alarm since 2010 about the fact that she was [subscribing] to extreme liberal socialist policies,” referring to Murkowski.

Wilson also said she would not “assign motive” to Murkowski’s decision to endorse Kreiss-Tomkins, though she did not rule out the possibility that the endorsement was intended as a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Trump endorsed Wilson on Oct. 13, days before Murkowski announced her support for Kreiss-Tomkins.

Murkowski has opposed several legislative priorities backed by Trump during the 119th Congress, including the SAVE America Act, which would impose additional proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in July, Murkowski wrote that “as written, the SAVE America Act isn’t a simple fix to safeguard elections, as proponents claim. It would impose costly new barriers and prevent some, perhaps many, from voting, while also creating chaos before the November elections.”

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In January, Murkowski joined Senate Democrats in voting in favor of the War Powers Resolution, which failed but could have limited Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran.

The president then took to Truth Social to state that Murkowski “should never be elected to office again.”

If elected governor, Wilson pledged in her video interview that she would continue to “sound the alarm” about Murkowski, whom she described as a “so-called Republican senator.”

The candidate also characterized Murkowski’s political positions as “absolutely terrible.”

Murkowski and Kreiss-Tomkins did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing an onslaught of social media criticism over a resurfaced quote that critics say reeks of hypocrisy, following an explosive New York Times report this week.

“It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate,” Peltola says in the clip from August posted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Wednesday, shortly after The New York Times reported that her campaign was actively involved in a scheme to peel votes away from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by recruiting namesake and spoiler candidates.

Conservatives on social media quickly shared the post and suggested that Peltola should be investigated based on her own words.

“Your terms are acceptable,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.

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“Turn yourself in, Mary Peltola,” conservative radio host Jason Rantz posted on X.

“Amen, Mary! ” former Trump campaign national press secretary Hogan Gidley posted on X.

“Well, that’s ironic… ,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on X.

“Agree!!! ” Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X.

ALASKA’S GOVERNOR ORDERS INVESTIGATION AFTER NYT REPORT ON ALLEGED DEM-LINKED SENATE ELECTION SCHEME

The New York Times report rocked the Alaska Senate race, which could determine the balance of power in the Senate, as questions now swirl over the legality of the campaign’s alleged actions. The Department of Justice and the state of Alaska are both investigating the genesis of the alleged scheme to recruit Dan J. Sullivan into the race against incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.

Fox News learned Wednesday that federal prosecutors are conducting an “aggressive criminal investigation” into how the second Sullivan secured a spot on Alaska’s ballot, according to two sources familiar with the probe. Investigators are preparing grand jury subpoenas and examining potential violations of voters’ rights, with the investigation expected to continue beyond Election Day. The DOJ declined to comment.

Alaska’s Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that he was ordering a probe into the matter.

“Today’s New York Times reporting reveals disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections by recruiting candidates — including one with the same name as an incumbent U.S. Senator — to deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes. The Alaska Division of Elections investigated these very concerns in June of this year. The new reporting substantially supports the Division’s findings,” Dunleavy noted in a post on X.

“I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska’s laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The evidence will determine what happens next,” the GOP governor continued.

The DOJ has issued dozens of subpoenas in the past 24 hours, reportedly looking into whether the campaign violated federal law by conspiring against the rights of voters. Others have argued the alleged actions are not illegal, and simply a “dirty trick” that is sometimes utilized in campaigns.

Fox News Digital reached out to Peltola’s campaign for comment.

Peltola has dismissed reports of the alleged election scheme as “just another distraction,” arguing that The New York Times’ report was solely purposed to “sell newspapers.”

Her campaign also continues to assert innocence, previously telling Fox News in part that the Alaskans for Mary campaign “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”

The election system in Minnesota is facing scrutiny on social media after a clip of a state official speaking to Somali voters reignited concerns about election integrity in the state.

“If you’re already registered to vote, you don’t need to bring anything with you,” Minnesota Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip said on Somali TV.

“You just show up to your early voting location, which is usually the county office or City Hall. Minneapolis and the bigger jurisdictions have a lot of extra places where you can go, like a lot of libraries or community centers. As long as you’re registered to vote, you don’t need to bring anything with you. 

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“If you’re not registered to vote … you still have options. If you have a Minnesota ID that is updated, that’s all you need to bring with you. If you don’t have that, there is a list of documents on our website that you can find. You still have options to get registered same day.”

While Hazelip’s comments were in accordance with the laws on the books, they prompted outrage on social media after being posted by conservative influencer End Wokeness, and the post racked up almost a million views with users making the case that the system is too lax.

“A Minnesota election official just went on Somali TV and walked viewers through how to same-day register and vote using a Minnesota state ID,” retired Navy intelligence Officer Phillip C. Parrish posted on X. 

“Minnesota hands out those IDs to non-citizens with no citizenship marking. Vouching lets one registered voter clear up to eight others on an oath. Citizenship is required by law. Real-time proof is not. The same state that lost hundreds of millions to documented fraud in childcare, nutrition, and Medicaid programs is now advertising the lowest-friction path to the ballot on community TV. Affirm you’re a citizen. Cast the vote. Get investigated later—if at all. This is how the system is built. It is not an accident.”

Federalist Society co-founder David McIntosh wrote on X, “Democrats are on a mission to tell every non-citizen how they can get away with voting in our elections.

ELECTION CRIME ARRESTS KEEP PILING UP AS DEMS INSIST IT ‘JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN’

“How is this not election interference?”

“Nothing to see here, I’m sure,” Red Ax Strategies President Matthew Brodsky posted on X.

“This is why passing the SAVE America Act is crucial,” conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office said it “provides information and resources on Minnesota election laws to hundreds of nonpartisan community groups every year as a part of our regular voter engagement efforts.”

“Recently, our voter outreach director spoke with a local news outlet and provided accurate information about Minnesota election laws and how eligible voters cast their ballots. Unfortunately, her accurate remarks have been misinterpreted and misrepresented by political actors online,” the statement said. 

“With only a few days left before the election, we remain focused on making sure every eligible Minnesotan knows how and where to cast their ballot.”

Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, told Fox News Digital, “given the timing, so close to the election — and the audience, Somali TV — she really should have emphasized the need to be an American citizen in order to vote.”

“It’s true most Somali immigrants are naturalized citizens, but not all,” Glahn said. “In fact, we just had a noncitizen sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the Feeding Our Future fraud.”

The scrutiny comes as the Walz administration confronts hundreds of millions of dollars lost to social services fraud tied to the state’s Somali immigrant community. Critics pointed to a further wrinkle in Minnesota state law signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023 that provided for Driver’s Licenses For All regardless of immigration status. The policy also stipulates that the licenses carry no markings indicating citizenship, even though such IDs are commonly used to register to vote.

Under Minnesota law, a registered voter can “vouch” for up to eight other voters’ residency who want to sign up for same-day voter registration without an ID. The registered voter must go with the person or people to the polling place and sign an oath verifying their address, according to an official fact sheet from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Glahn told Fox News Digital earlier this year that while the state touts the safeguards it has put in place to ensure only citizens vote, “it’s like murder’s illegal, but it happens all the time.”

“It’s a penalty of perjury,” he said. “You signed an oath, but if you signed as Mickey Mouse, they’re not going to find you.”

In September, a federal indictment was handed down charging an illegal immigrant from India with knowingly making the false claim to be a U.S. citizen to vote in the 2024 general election in Minnesota.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report

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