Opinion

LIZ PEEK: Two troubled Senate races could spoil Democrats' blue-wave fantasy

Front-runners James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed face growing scrutiny as polls show narrow leads over rivals

By Liz Peek Fox News

Published October 13, 2026 5:00am EDT

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The midterm elections are three weeks away. In some states, voting has already begun. Betting site Kalshi shows odds of 61% that Democrats will win control of the senate.

Recent developments in the Texas and Michigan races suggest keeping your money in your pocket.

As voters find out more about front-runner Democrats James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, the polls are tightening. They say intimacy breeds contempt; nowhere is this truer than in politics.

KEN PAXTON CALLS OUT JAMES TALARICO'S 11-DAY ABSENCE AT TRUMP RALLY, PROMPTING RESPONSE FROM CAMPAIGN

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Talarico is the 2026 version of 2018 senate wannabe Beto O’Rourke, who memorably live-streamed his teeth-cleaning as a campaign stunt, but ultimately lost to Republican Ted Cruz despite his laudable dental hygiene. Talarico, a photogenic 37-year-old state representative, recently vanished from public view for nearly two weeks, an extraordinary absence so close to Election Day. He says he had the flu; does he not know about Theraflu? Has he heard of Zoom?

His disappearance gave rise to a whirlwind of apparently erroneous rumors. Because Talarico has voiced some wacky ideas in the past, like believing there are six genders or that God is non-binary — which he has been forced to walk back —........

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