President Donald Trump campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton as Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico held a separate Lubbock rally Tuesday, Oct. 27, one week before Texas’ Nov. 3 general election.
The Trump 47 Committee’s event listing placed Trump’s remarks at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The Texas Tribune reported that Talarico’s rally was at the Fiesta Center, a few miles away, and said the line outside reached several blocks. The committee listed doors for 3:30 p.m. ET and Trump’s remarks for 7 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press reported that Trump had campaigned in Corpus Christi earlier Tuesday and that Talarico took the stage after Trump finished his Lubbock speech.
More than 4,000 people had signed up for Talarico’s event, a campaign spokesperson told the Texas Tribune. That was a registration figure, not a confirmed attendance count.
Trump criticized Talarico, saying, “He doesn’t represent your values, and we can’t take a chance.” The AP reported that Talarico focused on corruption and wealthy donors before telling the crowd, “We’re going to shock the nation and shock the world.”
The AP described the Senate contest as tight and reported that Republicans hoped Trump’s visit would spur their supporters to vote. The Texas Tribune said Talarico led narrowly in most polls it reviewed. The AP said a Democratic win would end the party’s more than three-decade absence from statewide victories in Texas. The Tribune described Lubbock as a Republican stronghold and said Democrats need to gain support in places like it to compete across the state.
The seat also figures in the contest for control of the U.S. Senate, a stake outlined in earlier EconoTimes coverage of the Texas Senate race.
The Texas Secretary of State’s calendar lists Oct. 30 as the last day of in-person early voting; the period began Oct. 19. The general election is Nov. 3.
