DEL RIO, Texas, July 19 (Del Rio Online) — With the Nov. 5 general election approaching, Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton took their Texas U.S. Senate campaigns to South Texas this week, including Del Rio, and made border security a central issue in the race.
Pollster and Texas A&M Bush School professor Clifford Young told CBS Texas the visits were “critically important” and described the region as “a canary in the coal mine.”
Talarico said he wants a “common sense border security plan” that would add Border Patrol agents, immigration judges and surveillance technology. He also criticized a proposed wall through the Big Bend region, saying some places along the border could use physical barriers but that the area around Big Bend does not need one.
Paxton, the state attorney general, said, “We need a secure border. We need to protect our country. We need to make sure that we take care of America first.” He has framed his border message around lawsuits against the Biden administration over immigration policy.
The two nominees are vying for the U.S. Senate seat in a statewide contest that has pushed both campaigns into border communities from Del Rio to McAllen.
