Polls across Texas closed at 7 p.m. in the Nov. 3 election, bringing a competitive race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico to a close.
What's happening: Initial results from early voting and mail-in ballots showed Talarico with an early lead over Paxton, although outcomes could change as more counties publish early voting totals and begin reporting results from Election Day.
The winner of the Nov. 3 election will replace Sen. John Cornyn, who lost his reelection bid to Paxton earlier this year. Each state has two U.S. senators, and the new senator will work alongside Republican Ted Cruz.
What they're saying: In August, Talarico told Community Impact his top priority was to "tackle corruption to bring down costs for working people," while Paxton said he would prioritize "lowering costs, restoring the American Dream and keeping Texas a safe place." Libertarian candidate Ted Brown said he was in favor of policies based on "personal freedom, economic freedom, digital privacy [and] anti-foreign military intervention."
Read Community Impact's full Q&A with the three candidates here.