Are the Democrats ready to win in Texas?

Are the Democrats ready to win in Texas?

From Americast by BBC News

May 27, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Texas Senate race on the upcoming midterm elections and the dynamics between Trump and his base.

The Senate race for Texas could decide which party controls Congress in November’s midterm elections, and some Democrats think the state could be theirs for the first time since 1988. It follows Tuesday’s Republican primary in Texas that ousted the state’s long-serving senator, John Cornyn, in favour of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a controversial figure who was backed by Donald Trump after the president accused Cornyn of disloyalty. In today’s episode, Sarah and Anthony assess whether Trump’s backing for Ken Paxton reflects a growing disconnect between the president and his base, and why some Republicans are worried about his chances when facing up against the Democrat’s James Talarico in November. HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast This episode was made by Tom Gillett with Grace Reeve and Oscar Pearson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. If you want to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sarah Smith, Anthony Zurcher

Topics covered

  • Texas politics
  • midterm elections
  • Republican primary
  • Democratic strategy
  • Trump influence

Keywords

  • Texas Senate race
  • midterm elections
  • Democrats
  • Republicans
  • Trump
  • Ken Paxton
  • James Talarico

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC News

Places: Texas

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