New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- Democrat James Talarico has opened a narrow lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the race for a US Senate seat in Texas, an unusual development in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades.

Lloyd Bentsen, a Democrat, was re-elected to the Senate from Texas in 1988 and after that no candidate from the party could win from the state.

A Fox News poll of Texas likely voters conducted from September 24 to 28 showed Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 49%. The two-point advantage is within the poll's margin of error of three percentage points. Among registered voters, however, Talarico's lead widened to seven points, compared with a three-point advantage in July.

A separate New York Times/Siena Un...