Talarico faces questions from voters during nationally televised CNN town hall without Paxton

The big picture: This unconventional format brought together Republican, Democratic and independent voters to question Talarico on affordability, democracy, education, health care and immigration.

• The questions gave Talarico a chance to clarify past comments featured in Republican attack ads, explain his positions on controversial issues and find common ground with voters.

What they say: “I don’t want people to just vote against Ken Paxton. I want them to vote for me. I want them to know my values ​​and my vision,” Talarico said near the end of the town hall, broadcast from Fort Worth.

• “This election is not about left versus right. It’s about whether we’ll have a senator who puts money in your pocket or a senator who puts money in his pocket,” he added in his only direct mention of his opponent..

Zoom: He has taken moderate positions on some issues, emphasizing his strategy to appeal to independents and some Republicans, while relying on his Christian faith to explain his views.s in a one-on-one conversation with voters.

• He supported oil and gas alongside renewable energy and clarified past criticisms of capitalism, saying he opposed “crony capitalism”.
• He said he did not support abolishing ICE but criticized the agency’s enforcement tactics, citing the fatal shooting of Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

Follow the money: More than $500 million was spent on television ads during the race, according to AdImpact data cited by CNN.

The plot: Talarico’s election campaign held watch parties in major Texas cities under the banner “This Could Have Been a Debate.”

• Paxton has yet to accept any of the four debate invitations, although his campaign said in July that he would debate.

The other side: Paxton’s campaign did not respond to Axios’ request for comment, but announced an 18-day “Come and Take It” bus tour across Texas.

The bottom line: Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, and Texas has become an unlikely battleground.