A New York Times/Siena University poll finds Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a virtual tie in the Texas Senate race. Multiple outlets report the survey shows both candidates at 47% support among likely voters. The poll is described as indicating a competitive, “toss-up” contest and as giving Democrats momentum in their effort to win a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Commentators highlighted that Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988, framing the race as potentially historic if Talarico can secure victory. Other coverage emphasizes how Democrats are interpreting the polling results as evidence the race is within reach, while noting the tight numbers do not establish a clear leader. Across the reports, the central point remains that the NYT/Siena survey places the candidates deadlocked on likely-voter support, with the outcome portrayed as uncertain and closely contested.