President Trump heads to Texas this week amid final campaigning in two of the country’s most closely watched electoral contests before midterm primaries in the Lone Star State next week.

Texas’s elections kick off a series of primaries throughout the country over the next six months, and the marquee Senate battle is capturing the political spotlight.

What the Left Is Saying

State Rep. James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett are neck and neck in the Democratic polling average, with Talarico holding 44.4 percent support to Crockett’s 44.1 percent.

Crockett has gained national attention for her strong pushback against Trump and his Republican allies, sometimes using catchy phrases that go viral online.

Talarico has taken a different approach, seeking to present a more conciliatory message to those who may have voted for Trump and other Republicans in the past.

What the Right Is Saying

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a slight lead in the polling average with 36.5 percent support, closely followed by incumbent Sen. John Cornyn with 32.2 percent.

Paxton has hit back at Cornyn for instances in which the senator broke with his party, including when he supported former President Biden’s bipartisan gun safety law.

Cornyn has attacked Paxton for various controversies concerning both his public and private life, including an indictment on security fraud charges he faced.

What the Numbers Show

The race has already set a record as the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history, with $110 million spent in campaign advertising.

Polling shows a close race among the three Republican candidates, with Rep. Wesley Hunt in third with 18 percent support.

The Bottom Line

Texas election law requires a candidate to receive a majority of the vote to win a primary outright, so the top two candidates appear almost certain to advance to a runoff in May.

The remaining X factor in the race is whether the president will weigh in to give what would likely be a highly influential endorsement to any candidate.