James Talarico brought his U.S. Senate campaign to San Marcos on Thursday, making his closing argument as the race against Republican Ken Paxton enters its final weeks. What looked like a long shot earlier this year now has national attention, thanks in part to a jaw-dropping $64 million fundraising quarter that his campaign calls a record for a Senate candidate. Paxton, meanwhile, has the Senate Leadership Fund spending more than $124 million on ads promoting him, a sign that national Republicans are not taking this race for granted either.

Paxton’s impeachment by the Texas Legislature over corruption questions, followed by his acquittal, remains a central issue for voters. Talarico’s campaign has leaned into that history, while also dealing with its own curveball this month: the candidate was out of public view for nine days with the flu, which sparked a wave of online conspiracy theories before he returned to the trail.

For voters here in Ellis County and across Texas, the stakes stretch well beyond state lines. This race could determine which party controls the Senate during President Trump’s final two years in office. A Republican state like Texas turning blue would be a political earthquake, and both sides are spending like they know it. So what do you think: is Texas really in play this November, or does it stay red when the votes are counted?