Three Texas Tech Roommates, Three Views on a Senate Race That Won’t Go Away

LUBBOCK — Three Texas Tech University roommates who share rent, groceries and a living room have landed on opposite sides of one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the country, even as they continue to split bills and attend classes together.

The divide among Isabella, Kate and Candy came into sharp focus this week as President Donald Trump traveled to Lubbock to campaign alongside Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton on Tuesday, while Democrat James Talarico campaigned elsewhere in the state.

A Fox News poll conducted in October found Paxton and Talarico tied at 49% among likely voters, a stunning margin in a state Trump carried by nearly 14 points in 2024 and where Republicans have controlled statewide politics since the 1990s.

Oil, Abortion and the Price of Gas

Isabella, who is studying oil and gas at Texas Tech, said her career plans shape her political leanings. She favors Republican policies that she believes create a friendlier regulatory climate for energy companies.

“I don’t think that there should be extreme regulations against exploration and production,” she said.

Kate, 19, a first-time voter from Dallas who backed Talarico, pointed to abortion and immigration as the issues driving her vote. She opposes Texas’ near-total abortion ban.

“I think that women should have the right to their own bodies,” she said. On immigration, she argued enforcement should focus on dangerous criminals rather than people who are working and contributing to their communities.

Candy, 21, who grew up in Chico, Texas, voted for Talarico and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, citing affordability, public education and healthcare. She said she now pays roughly $60 to $70 to fill up her car, nearly double the $30 to $35 she used to spend — money she said could otherwise go toward other expenses as a college student juggling tuition and living costs.

Skepticism About a Blue Texas

Despite their votes for Talarico, both Kate and Candy expressed doubt that Texas is on the verge of flipping.

“I believe there’s hope for Texas, but I don’t think Texas is as blue yet,” Candy said.

Kate said living in a college town has exposed her to more liberal views than she might find elsewhere in the state. “I hope it flips, but I also am not certain that it’d flip, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we didn’t flip,” she said.

Isabella was more direct about her own view of Talarico’s chances. “I don’t think we’ll flip anytime soon,” she said.

Politics Under One Roof

The roommates said their disagreements rarely disrupt their friendship or their shared apartment.

“I don’t think that politics should play a huge role in a friendship or in your living situation,” Isabella said.

Kate said she tries to see her roommates as individuals rather than through the lens of how they vote. “My entire personality doesn’t change, based off who I vote for,” she said. “And their personality doesn’t change based off of who they vote for.”