Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke hasn’t declared, but Texas Democrats are already treating him as their front-runner for the 2026 U.S. Senate race. A new poll from Texas Public Opinion Research shows 27% of Democratic voters would back him, narrowly ahead of U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, of Dallas, at 26%.

Neither has officially entered the race, yet both outpoll the declared candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who lost his 2024 bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, garnered just 13%, while state Rep. James Talarico, who officially announced this week, came in at 7%.

O’Rourke told CNN in July that he hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’d throw his hat in the ring, adding he would consider running if it’s “what the people of Texas want.”

His electoral track record, however, should give Democ

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