State Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) leads his potential Republican opponents in the U.S. Senate race in Texas, per a poll from the University of Texas out this morning.

Why it matters: A close race in Texas would expand the battleground for Democrats in their bid to retake the Senate and put a legislative check on President Trump.

State of play: Talarico will face either U.S. Sen. John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are vying for the GOP nomination in a May 26 runoff.

By the numbers: In hypothetical matchups, Talarico led Cornyn 40% to 33% among 1,200 registered voters in the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll, and he held a 42% to 34% lead over Paxton.

Context: The poll comes a day after another nonpartisan poll found Talarico leading his Republican rivals by closer margins.

What they're saying: Republicans remain divided on who they want to represent them in the race — but they still have plenty of time to get behind a single candidate by November, Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, tells Axios.

• "We are asking voters in April about their potential voting preferences in this hypothetical matchup while an incredibly heated and long-running primary is going on," he says.

Reality check: No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994.

• But Talarico has been raising record amounts of money, and President Trump's low approval ratings have been a drag on Republican candidates around the country.

The intrigue: At an event at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation this month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick forecast problems for Republicans if the party couldn't unite behind its Senate nominee.

• He urged Paxton and Cornyn to endorse whoever wins the bitterly contested primary. "Because if 10 to 15 percent of either of their sides don't turn out and vote, James Talarico is going to win," he said.

The bottom line: "It's likely to be a pretty favorable electoral environment for Democrats should things stay on the trajectory they're on now," Henson says.

More about the poll

Former President George W. Bush stopped by St. Mark's School last week to talk about the importance of "being a citizen, not a spectator."

The intrigue: Bush kept his spring convocation speech both realistic and motivational, acknowledging that some Americans are navigating a distressing period.

• "This is not the first time our nation has been stressed. Yet, every time, because of our institutional protections and the self-healing aspects of democracy, we have survived," he said.

Zoom out: Bush appears to be living his best life, appearing at SMU games, painting portraits of inspirational people and jokingly pushing for a show called "George and Hoda" with Hoda Kotb.

• Bush recently did an interview with his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, to share how America can heal itself.

The bottom line: "You don't have to be George Washington, you don't have to be in our military in order to serve ... you can do so by loving a neighbor, you can be a citizen by volunteering in the armies of compassion," Bush told St. Mark's students.

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Clear your web cache and double-check your internet connection — Live Nation's "Summer of Live" promotion kicks into high gear today.

Driving the news: The $30 promotion starts at 10am and runs through May 5, covering more than 4,000 Live Nation shows across the country.

Zoom in: The Dallas-Fort Worth shows include Demi Lovato, Summer Walker, Alex Warren, Khalid and Sting.

• The venues include American Airlines Center, Majestic Theatre, Dickies Arena, Dos Equis Pavilion, House of Blues Dallas and the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.

How it works: Fans can select a show as they normally would, then look for the ticket type labeled "Summer of Live Promotion" and add it to their cart.

• There is a purchase limit of four tickets per event, while inventory lasts.