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IrelandTalarico targets big donors as Iowa farmers weigh economic pressures
Jackie Fox's election road trip connects Texas campaign spending, Florida's Hispanic voters and rural frustration over costs and trade.
Why this story? One of RTÉ News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 5,117 views.
RTÉ News: The news division of RTÉ, Ireland's public broadcaster. 256K subscribers and 182M views.
US midterms: Is Trump’s support shifting? | Across America | RTÉ News
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:21Miami-Dade voters offer contrasting views on Republican support and federal immigration policies.
- 3:16Texas's Senate contest brings Talarico, Paxton and the influence of political spending into focus.
- 4:46Dallas County interviews connect voting choices with border policy, education and candidate qualities.
- 6:46Iowa's farming communities face economic pressures involving tariffs, crop prices and production costs.
- 7:48Democrats discuss gaining Iowa seats, while Rob Sand stresses his record of challenging both parties.
- 8:47Workers at an Iowa trucking garage express frustration with Washington and the burden of paying taxes.
James Talarico frames his Texas Senate campaign as a contest with wealthy political donors. In Iowa, the financial concerns are closer to the ground: crop prices, production costs and the consequences of trade policy.
Those different pressures run through a report by RTÉ News, the news service of Ireland's public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Washington correspondent Jackie Fox travels through Florida, Texas and Iowa to ask whether Republicans can retain the voters who helped Donald Trump win in 2024, with control of Congress at stake.
In Texas, Fox examines Elon Musk's political spending and the Senate contest between Democratic nominee Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general. Talarico says billionaire donors and their super PACs are spending $200 million to stop his campaign. The report presents that as his account, alongside conversations about border policy, education and the candidates themselves.
Dallas County Republican Party chair Monty Montanez describes the choice this way: "They have a decision to make. Vote with your pockets or you vote with your conscience."
The Florida section offers competing readings of Hispanic support in Miami-Dade County. One voter prefers the status quo. Conservative campaigners discuss opposition to socialism and argue that Democrats have moved too far left, while University of Miami professor Gregory Koger says he believes the election cycle is souring voters on Republicans. Fox also examines concerns about federal immigration policies.
In Iowa, the report hears from farmers facing falling crop prices and high costs, some of whom blame the administration's policies. Iowa Farmers Union executive director Matt Russell contributes to the discussion of rural economic pressures, while Democratic strategist Derek Eadon considers opportunities to gain seats.
Democratic governor candidate Rob Sand emphasises his willingness to challenge powerful people in both parties as state auditor. Fox then visits a trucking garage in Iowa's First Congressional District, where the conversation turns to distrust of Washington and the strain of working to pay taxes.
A Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2018 and the party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas in 2026.
More on Wikipedia ›Texas attorney general since 2015 and the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas in 2026.
More on Wikipedia ›A Democrat who has served as Iowa’s state auditor since 2019. He was the only Democrat elected to statewide office in Iowa in 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- RTÉ News
- Subscribers
- 256,000 ▲ 1,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 1,726,927
- Channel views, pace per day
- 122,751 (on a normal day: 314,422)
- Video published
- October 31, 2026
- Video views so far
- 5,117 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 5,530
The numbers
The report drew about 5,100 views since yesterday.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which Iowa office does Rob Sand cite when discussing his record of challenging both parties?
Sand refers to his work as Iowa's state auditor when describing his willingness to challenge powerful people.