It seems as though each year the importance of election season grows, with 2026 being no exception. With the ever-growing political tension and scrutiny between parties, the responsibility to build bridges falls on us — those with the power to vote. If you’re struggling with where to begin, here are five questions to help get you on the right path.
Browsing: Ken Paxton
This November, some new and some familiar names will fill the Texas Ballot. These elections could make major waves in Texas politics. Here’s a brief overview of the major candidates, the positions they’re running for and the job descriptions of those positions.
“The billionaires who are buying the system don’t care who you are,” Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico said. “They don’t care about your politics; they only care about their profits. They don’t see us as Democrats or Republicans; they don’t see red or blue; they only see green. They see us as one group of people. One group of people they can rip off.”
Students attending the event, whether in protest or to support Talarico’s campaign, held conflicting views over whether Talarico and his opponent Ken Paxton’s Christian values will be the deciding factor in the ballot box.
Red “Make America Affordable Again” campaign signs waved throughout a packed Mark & Paula Hurd Grand Ballroom Wednesday night as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico took the stage at Baylor. According to the Talarico campaign, 1,100 people RSVP’d for the event.
Trump encouraged voter turnout and touts policy victories, saying, “Pretend I’m on the ballot.” He also announced that if Republicans win the House and Senate, every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend.
As James Talarico and Ken Paxton campaign for the U.S. Senate, both candidates have made Christianity a prominent part of their political identities. But the two candidates draw very different conclusions about how their faith should shape government, from the separation of church and state to the role of Christian values in public policy.
James Talarico will host a campaign event at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Mark and Paula Hurd Center. Baylor extended invitations to Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general. Paxton’s campaign was unable to accommodate Baylor’s available dates.
Tensions continued to grow over the summer between political adversaries as Texas state Sen. James Talarico called on Attorney General Ken Paxton to release internal records related to a controversial child sexual abuse case involving former Waco attorney and Baylor Law graduate Adam Hoffman.
Just hours before the event was a final change: thousands of general admission tickets were voided to accommodate a Baylor-only policy that the university claims had always been in place.
By Brady Harris | Photographer & Caleb Garcia | Photographer
Current polls from The New York Times have Congressman Wesley Hunt as a favorite to win the primary, but he still has plenty of ground to cover against the other two candidates. As the election heats up, polls demonstrate that incumbent John Cornyn is falling to the back of the pack as the others move forward.
The demolition of a state-designated historic home near Baylor may have violated the state’s government code, said Chris Florance, director of communications at the Texas Historical Commission.

