Early voting has begun for congressional elections in Texas, a historically Republican-dominated state and the second-largest and wealthiest in the USA. Polls are predicting a close race, particularly for the Senate seat. The Republican candidate is current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing scrutiny due to corruption investigations. His opponent is James Talarico, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. An unusual point of contention has emerged, with Talarico accused by opponents of threatening the state’s identity through comments suggesting reduced meat consumption to combat climate change—a stance framed as an attack on Texas’s beloved barbecue tradition. The election is shaping up to be a fiercely contested battle for political control in Texas.