Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico appears to have carved out a clear lead against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the battle to succeed Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Talarico has become a rising star in the Democratic Party as he mounts his bid to become the first Texas Democrat elected to statewide office in decades. Though Democrats have fallen short in recent years, despite spending heavily on the long shot contests, Talarico appears to be in a position to cross the finish line.

In a Texas Pulse/Texas A&M survey published Friday, Talarico took 47% support among likely voters, compared to 43% who backed Paxton. Among independents, Talarico took 53% support to Paxton's 30%.

It isn't all bad news for Paxton though, as the conservative firebrand still managed to take 40% of the Hispanic vote, suggesting that the Trump-era inroads with that voting bloc appear poised to solidify.

On the gubernatorial side, Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, holds a narrow lead over Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa, 46% to 45%. 

Conducted July 27-30, the survey questioned 619 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.7%.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.