Voter Choice

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U.S. Senate: who gets your vote?

What this role does

U.S. senators work with the House on U.S. laws and spending. They also vote on the president's picks for federal judges.

These votes help set U.S. taxes, pay for public services and choose who serves in federal courts.

  • National laws
  • Federal spending
  • Federal judge nominations

Read about them. Then tap a button to pick one. You can change it later.

Data last updated: Oct 14, 2026 (federal ballot roster). Verify approaching elections with your state election office.

Our reading of the duties, not an official requirement. Doesn't rank or recommend anyone.

Office role sources

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Candidate
JAMES TALARICO

JAMES TALARICO

Running for U.S. Senate · Texas

NationalDemocrat

Candidate
KEN PAXTON

KEN PAXTON

Running for U.S. Senate · Texas

NationalRepublican

JAMES TALARICOCandidateKEN PAXTONChallenger

Job fit

JAMES TALARICO

Other work

  • I taught sixth grade Language Arts at Rhodes Middle School on the westside of San Antonio. 1

KEN PAXTON

Offices held

  • Ken Paxton is the 51st Attorney General of Texas. 2

Top issues

Ranked by what Americans say matters most (Pew, 2026)

JAMES TALARICO

  • Cost of living & jobsBoth address this
    Backs raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour, passing paid family leave, and supporting the PRO Act to make it easier for workers to unionize. 3
  • GunsBoth address this
    Supports passing universal background checks, secure storage requirements, and raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles with military-style features. 4
  • ImmigrationBoth address this
    Wants comprehensive immigration reform making legal immigration easier and pathways to citizenship for DREAMers and long-term undocumented immigrants. 5
More on their website →

KEN PAXTON

  • Cost of living & jobsBoth address this
    Pledges to 'cut taxes and stop the wasteful spending' and to revitalize American manufacturing and jobs through lower taxes and reduced regulation. 6
  • GunsBoth address this
    Says he will 'protect our gun rights' and fight what he calls an 'unprecedented assault on our Constitutional freedoms — like our 2nd Amendment rights.' 6
  • ImmigrationBoth address this
    Wants to 'help President Trump finish the border wall,' secure the border, and 'deport the criminal illegal aliens.' 6

No public stance found on: Health care costs, Crime & safety

More on their website →

How they voted on top issues

We haven't found votes on top issues for either candidate yet.

Who pays them

JAMES TALARICO

Where the campaign money came from7

small donorslarge donorsother politicianslabor unionspolitical allies (same party)Other kinds of donors
small donors$75.3Mlarge donors$64.5Motherpoliticians$154Klabor unions$78Kpolitical allies(same party)$68KOther kinds ofdonors$8K$140.3M raised
$75,299,9337Small individual donors
$64,476,6707Large individual donors

KEN PAXTON

Where the campaign money came from7

small donorslarge donorsother politicianscompaniesmembership organizationsOther kinds of donors
small donors$6.1Mlarge donors$14.9Motherpoliticians$88Kcompanies$65Kmembershiporganizations$30KOther kinds ofdonors$39K$21.5M raised
$6,077,2647Small individual donors
$14,920,6917Large individual donors

Checks

JAMES TALARICO

No voting record to check yet

KEN PAXTON

No voting record to check yet

Based on current data. May change in a future update.

Sources

  1. Meet James Talarico - Talarico for Texas · checked 2026-10-18 used in: Experience
  2. About the Attorney General | Office of the Attorney General · checked 2026-10-18 used in: Experience
  3. jamestalarico.com used in: Top issues
  4. jamestalarico.com used in: Top issues
  5. jamestalarico.com used in: Top issues
  6. kenpaxton.com used in: Top issues
  7. FEC · 2026 cycle used in: Money
Show 1 more running

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Pick any two candidates below. Your second selection updates the comparison automatically. “Shown above” marks the current cards, not a selection. Comparison selections do not change your pick.

JAMES TALARICO
Candidate A

JAMES TALARICO

DemocratShown above

No federal record yet. Campaign money: $140.3M raised, 46% from large donors, 0% from organized interests. Group coverage unverified: filing cutoffs and receipt scope have not been reconciled. Named amounts are not a complete split of the filed PAC total.
Filed PAC total: $468,805.64 (0% of $140,307,408.46 raised), 2026 cycle.
Named group amounts (not a complete filed split): $307,665.00, Group filing cutoff unavailable. Group source

Says they are for: government paying more of the bill, government spending and worker protections, more rules on who can buy guns.

Sources

1 Background: Meet James Talarico - Talarico for Texas · checked 2026-10-18

2 The money: FEC · 2026 cycle

3 government paying more of the bill: Candidate statement

4 government spending and worker protections: Candidate statement

5 more rules on who can buy guns: Candidate statement

0/2 selected
KEN PAXTON
Candidate B

KEN PAXTON

RepublicanShown above

🚩 No federal record yet. Campaign money: $21.5M raised, 70% from large donors, 2% from organized interests. Group coverage unverified: filing cutoffs and receipt scope have not been reconciled. Named amounts are not a complete split of the filed PAC total.
Filed PAC total: $392,150.00 (2% of $21,452,104.85 raised), 2026 cycle.
Named group amounts (not a complete filed split): $221,032.00, Group filing cutoff unavailable. Group source

Says they are for: lower taxes and fewer rules on business, protecting the right to own and carry guns, a tighter border and stricter enforcement.

Sources

1 Background: About the Attorney General | Office of the Attorney General · checked 2026-10-18

2 The money: FEC · 2026 cycle

3 lower taxes and fewer rules on business: Candidate statement

4 protecting the right to own and carry guns: Candidate statement

5 a tighter border and stricter enforcement: Candidate statement

0/2 selected
TB
Candidate C

TED BROWN

Libertarian

No federal record yet. Campaign money: $14K raised, 36% from large donors, organized-interest share unavailable.

Sources

1 Background: Ted Brown - Libertarian for U.S. Senator from Texas · checked 2026-10-18

2 The money: FEC · 2026 cycle

0/2 selected