Ken Paxton, the Republican Texas attorney general who is running for Senate against James Talarico, started a statewide bus tour on Saturday, looking to shore up support in what has become a close race.
Mr. Paxton kicked off the tour with a stop at an airport hangar in Rockwall, a Dallas suburb where President Trump won in 2024 by about 40 percentage points. After remarks from current, former and hopeful Texas officials, the AC/DC song “Thunderstruck” played as the hangar door slowly opened to reveal the arrival of Mr. Paxton’s bus.
The start of Mr. Paxton’s road trip comes as several polls have shown a tight race for the Senate seat in Texas, while other polls have given Mr. Talarico a slight edge at becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide election since 1994.
In remarks that lasted about 19 minutes, Mr. Paxton touted his record as the Texas attorney general and took jabs at Mr. Talarico. Mr. Paxton also acknowledged that the polls have been close, and urged his supporters to vote early and encourage others to vote as well.
“While you might think you have one vote, just one vote, the consequences of that vote will determine what the future of America looks like,” Mr. Paxton said. “We’re on a knife’s edge, but the difference is thousands of miles apart. That’s why this race is about more than just me and James Talarico.”
Among those who spoke at the rally were Jace Yarbrough, a Republican running for Congress who has been endorsed by President Trump, and Katrina Pierson, a Texas state representative running for re-election who had previously served as a Trump campaign adviser.
Mr. Paxton was also joined by Nate Schatzline, a former Texas state representative and an adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. Mr. Schatzline told those at the rally that Mr. Paxton had recently been endorsed by dozens of pastors.
“This is not a political battle for him,” Mr. Schatzline said. “This is, in fact, a spiritual battle in the state of Texas and really across the country.”
Mark Linane, 60, who attended the event, said that the endorsement resonated with him and was one reason he planned to vote for Mr. Paxton.
“I’m a man of faith,” Mr. Linane said. “This is an important fight. We got a lot of things going on, and I think we have to put our faith first.”
After the rally, many attendees took turns signing messages on the campaign bus, and others took pictures by the bus. Mona Jam, 38, said that she had been door-knocking and making calls for Mr. Paxton.
Ms. Jam, who moved to Texas from Iran in 2016, said she supported Mr. Paxton because she believed he could help bring regime change in Iran.
“I think that’s what he stands for, too,” Ms. Jam said. “He is looking for freedom.”
The event in Rockwall was the first of two scheduled stops on Saturday. In all, Mr. Paxton’s bus tour will make more than 30 stops across the state before a final stop at the Alamo in San Antonio the night before Election Day.
Mr. Talarico is also planning a statewide bus tour that is expected to begin on Sunday. It is scheduled to make 21 stops across Texas, beginning in Plano, a Dallas suburb, and ending on Nov. 2 in Austin.
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