Trump holds Texas rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock one week before Election Day

By Julian Westerly

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump travels to Texas on Tuesday for two midterm rallies, one in Corpus Christi and one in Lubbock, putting the president in front of Republican voters in a closely fought U.S. House district and in the state’s U.S. Senate race exactly one week before Election Day.

The first stop is the Port of Corpus Christi, 990 E. Port Ave., where gates open at 10:30 a.m. Central time, the program begins at 12:30 p.m. and the president is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m., according to the Republican National Committee’s event listing and KSAT. The Corpus Christi visit replaces a previously scheduled appearance in Waco and is Trump’s third Texas stop in October, KSAT reported. The evening rally is at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane, with doors at 2:30 p.m., the event starting at 4:30 p.m. and remarks at 6 p.m. Central, according to the schedule the Trump 47 Committee announced and FOX 4 reported.

The trip is built around two Republicans Trump has backed. In Corpus Christi, the visit is expected to help build support for Eric Flores, who has Trump’s endorsement and is challenging Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in Texas’ 34th Congressional District, which stretches from Brownsville to Corpus Christi. During a San Antonio rally earlier this month, Trump urged voters to support Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, KSAT reported.

The Washington Inquisitor is seeking comment from the White House on the president’s message for Tuesday’s rallies; this story will be updated with any response.

A Senate race both parties are contesting

Polling shows a close race between Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, a state representative. An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey of 1,000 likely Texas voters taken Oct. 17-19 found Talarico at 48% and Paxton at 46%, within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Talarico is also campaigning in West Texas on Tuesday. His campaign’s itinerary includes a meet-and-greet in Midland at noon, an event in Amarillo at 2:30 p.m. and a 7 p.m. rally in Lubbock, an hour after Trump’s scheduled remarks in the same city, FOX 4 reported. Paxton is on a statewide “Come and Take It” tour this week, with stops in Abilene on Wednesday, Beaumont on Thursday, Houston on Friday and Fort Worth on Saturday, according to the same report.

The race has drawn heavy spending. Through Oct. 14, Talarico’s campaign reported raising $146.3 million and Paxton’s $22.3 million, according to Federal Election Commission summary data. Outside groups have reported about $248 million in independent expenditures in the general-election contest, according to a Washington Inquisitor tally of the FEC’s bulk independent expenditure file covering filings received through Oct. 25.

A House seat on the border

The 34th District is one of the most expensive House contests in the country. Outside groups have reported about $25.5 million in general-election independent expenditures there, more than three times the roughly $7.9 million the two candidates’ campaigns had spent through Oct. 14, the Inquisitor’s tally of FEC records shows.

Gonzalez’s campaign reported raising $5.2 million for the cycle and had about $1.4 million in cash on hand as of Oct. 14. Flores reported raising $4.0 million and had about $246,000 on hand.

Voters interviewed by KSAT ahead of the Corpus Christi stop were divided. One, identified only as Ismael, said, “I think he’s doing a great job for the country.” Another, identified as Liz, said she had no interest in attending.

It remains unclear who will join the president on stage in Corpus Christi, KSAT reported. Election Day is Nov. 3.