During a discussion on Thursday’s episode of “The View,” co-host Sunny Hostin expressed her belief that Texas might shift to blue in the upcoming election, marking a significant change after nearly 30 years. This prediction surfaced as the panel analyzed the competitive race between Democratic candidate James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate.
“I really think we will see Texas go blue,” Hostin said confidently. She pointed out recent polling data from September where multiple pollsters indicated Talarico leading Paxton, 51% to 45%. “That’s pretty remarkable, especially since no Democrat has won a statewide office in three decades.”
Hostin also highlighted Talarico’s strong support among key demographics, such as women—who favor him 56% to 40%—young voters aged 18 to 29 at 66% to 22%, and Hispanics, who support him 62% to 30%. “We’re talking about Texas here; I think he’s going to take this race,” she added.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin suggested that Talarico’s prospects represent a backlash against the Trump administration. “The fact that Texas is competitive illustrates the frustration with current leadership,” she noted, implying that the political climate has shifted.
Yet, while acknowledging the possibility of a Democratic win, Griffin remained somewhat cautious. “I think it could swing either way between Paxton or Talarico, but it feels like a perfect storm, and a lot of it is due to the president’s actions,” she remarked.
Griffin also characterized Talarico as a strong candidate, mentioning that she thought Sen. John Cornyn would have made a stronger opponent than Paxton, who received Trump’s endorsement and won the GOP primary.
A recent poll from Fox News indicated that Talarico holds a net positive personal rating of 8 points among likely voters in Texas (52% favorable to 44% unfavorable), whereas Paxton has a negative rating, sitting at 40% favorable and 58% unfavorable.
Furthermore, Republicans appear to have a much more unfavorable view of Paxton, with 32% expressing discontent compared to just 5% of Democrats who feel the same about Talarico.
When it comes to control of the Senate, voters in Texas are nearly split: 49% prefer a Democratic majority while 50% lean towards a Republican one. Interestingly, some Republicans are siding with the Democrats, with 8% expressing a preference for them compared to only 1% of Democrats favoring the GOP.
This sets up a very close race, with Talarico narrowly leading Paxton, 51% to 49%. However, these numbers are within the margin of error for the poll.
Co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Ana Navarro raised some skepticism about the positive polling numbers for Talarico. Navarro expressed concern, stating, “After the events of 2016, I’m a bit apprehensive.”
“Hope is great, but it’s not enough to secure a win. People really need to turn that hope into action and vote,” she cautioned, stressing that complacency can’t lead to change.
As for Paxton, his campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Recently, he campaigned alongside Trump in San Antonio, highlighting Talarico’s absence from this event due to illness. The Talarico campaign, however, explained he was recovering from the flu and expected to resume campaigning soon.
In a response to the commentary from Hostin and Griffin, an RNC spokesperson remarked, “Anyone taking these views seriously probably doesn’t have a very high IQ—perhaps they’d make a good guest host on ‘The View,’” reflecting on the political discourse surrounding the candidates and the election.
