President Donald Trump and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D) presented rival messages on Tuesday in the Lone Star State, just seven days before the midterm elections.

Trump staged two events in Texas, first in Corpus Christi and later in Lubbock, marking his fourth visit to the state to back Republican Senate hopeful Ken Paxton.

Talarico also held a rally in Lubbock on Tuesday and had spoken in Corpus Christi on Saturday.

The Texas Senate contest is among the nation's most closely watched races. Real Clear Politics lists the contest as a toss-up, with Talarico holding a narrow edge in the polls.

A Democratic victory would be unexpected, as no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas since 1988, and Trump carried the state by almost 14 points in the 2024 presidential race.

Democrats are seeking control of both the House and the Senate, needing four additional seats to claim a Senate majority.

At the Corpus Christi rally, Trump opened by saying Texans would defeat "Democrat Communist James Talafreako," a nickname he has applied to Talarico.

He attacked Talarico on immigration, the Second Amendment and even barbecue, stating, "If you're running in Texas and if you don't like guns, and if you don't like meat and if you don't like oil, I think you should be losing by a lot. Where the hell did they get this guy?"

Trump also referenced a Venezuelan oil tanker that arrived in Texas on Tuesday, claiming Talarico would try to take it away and would "kill millions of Texas jobs."

During the Lubbock appearance, Trump repeated that Talarico "wants to get rid of your guns, your oil, your meat... he can't stand the stuff."

Talarico denied being vegan, affirmed support for the Second Amendment, and said he favors gun-control measures.

After his Lubbock speech, Talarico thanked the audience, noting the proximity to Trump's rally and echoing the president's nickname: "That's a lot of Talafreakos in one room."

He claimed Texans are "ready for change," targeting the Trump administration's policies on Iran, tariffs and grocery prices, and vowed to end what he called "extremism and corruption."

Talarico labeled Paxton the "most corrupt politician in Texas," adding, "Ken Paxton is everything that's wrong with our politics. He doesn't serve us. He serves himself."

He contrasted his own record of cutting property taxes, lowering housing costs and capping insulin copays with Paxton's "criminal record," noting that Paxton has faced indictments, federal probes and impeachment but was acquitted.

Talarico likened Paxton to "that one guy" at a Texas bar who adds drinks to a tab without permission, saying, "I am done picking up his tab." He concluded that the issue is not partisan, asserting that both parties recognize "there is no place for guys like Ken Paxton in Texas."p>