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IrelandCan Republican spending hold Texas? Americast examines the closing pitches
Anthony Zurcher reports from Texas as Sarah Smith brings a Michigan interview into the BBC podcast's look at two tightly contested Senate seats.
BBC News
Story of Why this story? One of the most watched videos since yesterday, with 73,320 views.
Republicans are pouring money into the Texas Senate race... will they win? | BBC Americast
Things we can learn from the video
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- 0:30Zurcher describes a close Texas contest after decades of Republican strength in statewide Senate elections.
- 5:35Trump's Lubbock rally frames Talarico as a threat to guns, oil and meat; Paxton stresses Trump's support.
- 12:45The hosts examine Musk's campaign backing alongside his business investments in Texas.
- 16:00Talarico seeks moderate and disaffected Republican voters in conservative areas including Amarillo and Lubbock.
- 23:39El-Sayed tells Smith he remains confident; the hosts then examine anti-Muslim rhetoric and divisions over Gaza.
- 30:05El-Sayed's paid campaign advert combines an economic-populist pitch with clips of conservative commentators.
Donald Trump is rallying Republican voters in Lubbock. James Talarico is seeking support in the same conservative territory. BBC Americast puts those contrasting approaches alongside a central question: how much can a huge spending advantage achieve if the election comes down to turnout?
Reporting from Texas, Anthony Zurcher describes a close contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat Talarico, with polls putting little distance between them. The episode has drawn about 73,000 views in its first few hours today.
The BBC says Elon Musk has put more than $150 million behind Paxton's campaign. Zurcher and Sarah Smith examine that backing alongside Musk's substantial business presence in Texas, then show how Talarico has made opposition to billionaire donors and super PAC spending part of his pitch.
The Republican message is different. In rally footage, Trump portrays Talarico as a threat to familiar Texas priorities: "James Talarico wants to get rid of your guns, he wants to get rid of your oil, wants to get rid of your meat..." Paxton, appearing at the same event, emphasises Trump's personal support.
Zurcher explains why Talarico is campaigning in places such as Amarillo and Lubbock: the Democrat is trying to reach moderate and disaffected Republicans, rather than relying solely on his own party's voters. The hosts also examine early-voting patterns, without treating turnout as a settled result.
Michigan broadens the discussion. Smith interviews Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who says he feels confident about his position. The hosts consider anti-Muslim rhetoric directed at him and Democratic divisions over Gaza, before playing his campaign advert. Explicitly paid for by his campaign, it combines a working-class economic message with clips of conservative commentators, illustrating an effort to reach beyond the usual Democratic audience.
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- Channel
- BBC News
- Subscribers
- 20,200,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 36,728,452
- Channel views, pace per day
- 2,470,080 (on a normal day: 5,218,396)
- Video published
- November 1, 2026
The numbers
The episode's views have accumulated since its upload today, not over a full day.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which state is Abdul El-Sayed campaigning to represent in the Senate?
Smith interviews El-Sayed about his Senate campaign in Michigan.