休斯顿：得克萨斯州于周一（10月19日）开始提前投票，该州是11月份中期选举中备受关注的几场竞争的所在地，民主党人希望在这一传统共和党堡垒中取得历史性胜利。
HOUSTON: Early voting began on Monday (Oct 19) in Texas, home to some of the most closely watched races in November's midterm elections, with Democrats hopeful for historic victories in the traditional Republican stronghold.
休斯顿的一个投票站一早就排起了长队，得克萨斯州的选民们正在权衡在经济问题上竞选的民主党人和与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普结盟的共和党人之间的选择。
Lines formed early at a Houston polling station, as Texas voters weighed a choice between Democrats campaigning on economic concerns and Republicans aligned with US President Donald Trump.
在州长竞选中，民调显示民主党人吉娜·希诺霍萨略占上风，她是一名52岁的律师，希望击败现任共和党州长格雷格·阿博特，后者68岁，正在竞选第四个任期。
In the governor's race, polls indicate a slight lead for Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a 52-year-old attorney who seeks to beat incumbent Greg Abbott, a 68-year-old Republican running for a fourth term.
希诺霍萨周日表示：“我们从未如此接近胜利。”她说：“如果这次我们不赢，他们永远不会再让我们有这么接近的机会。”在美国参议院竞选中，民主党人詹姆斯·塔拉里科，一名37岁的前教师，已经激发了选民的热情，使他在特朗普的盟友、得克萨斯州司法部长肯·帕克斯顿（63岁）的竞争中略占上风。
"We have never been so close," Hinojosa said Sunday. "If we don't win this time, they will never let us get this close again." In the US Senate race, Democrat James Talarico, a 37-year-old former teacher, has energised voters to gain a slight lead over Trump ally and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 63.
希诺霍萨和塔拉里科代表了一代新的民主党人，他们希望吸引独立选民以及对特朗普在中东不受欢迎的战争以及汽油和日常用品价格飙升感到失望的选民。
Hinojosa and Talarico represent a new generation of Democrats who are seeking to attract independents and voters disillusioned by Trump's unpopular war in the Middle East and skyrocketing prices for gas and everyday goods.
民主党人还指望夺回特朗普失去的拉美裔选民的支持，尽管他在2024年选举中曾有所收获，但民调显示，他目前正因移民突击行动而面临日益增长的不满。
Democrats are also counting on winning back Latino support from Trump, who made gains in the 2024 election but is now facing growing discontent over immigration raids, polling shows.
共和党支持：共和党人正依赖支持特朗普的选民出来投票，正如总统所要求的那样。
REPUBLICAN SUPPORT Republicans are counting on voters who support Trump to turn out the vote, as the president has asked them to.
64岁的罗斯·玛丽·奎瓦斯说：“我希望唐纳德·特朗普能够完成他所说要做的事情，我只希望一切都能朝着最好的方向发展，感谢耶稣基督。”阿博特和帕克斯顿都在投票前避免了辩论。
"I want Donald Trump to finish," Rose Mary Cuevas, 64, said. "I want him to finish up what he said he's gonna do and I just hope that everything works out for the best and thank Jesus Christ for that." Both Abbott and Paxton have avoided debates ahead of the polls.
帕克斯顿正试图克服多年的争议，其中包括长期存在的证券欺诈指控——这些指控在未承认错误的情况下得到了解决；围绕他婚姻破裂的不忠指控；以及他与富有捐助者关系的质疑。
Paxton is seeking to overcome years of controversy, including long-running securities fraud charges that were resolved without an admission of wrongdoing, allegations of infidelity surrounding the collapse of his marriage, and questions about his ties to wealthy donors.
2023年，由共和党控制的德克萨斯州众议院因腐败和滥用职权的指控弹劾了帕克斯顿。随后，州参议院宣判他无罪。
In 2023, the Republican-controlled Texas House impeached Paxton over corruption and abuse of power allegations. He was later acquitted by the state Senate.
帕克斯顿还在2020年支持特朗普，当时特朗普在未提供证据的情况下质疑自己输给乔·拜登的选举结果。
Paxton also backed Trump in 2020, when the president contested his loss to Joe Biden without offering evidence.
提前投票的选民前往投票站时，德克萨斯州的一名联邦检察官亚伦·赖茨发出了警告。
As early voters headed to polls, a federal prosecutor in Texas, Aaron Reitz, issued a warning.
“只有合格选民才能投票。不允许被剥夺权利的重罪犯、外国人和外国人投票，”赖茨在X平台上的一个视频中说。“如果你违反联邦选举法，我会追踪你并起诉你。”
"Only eligible voters can vote. No barred felons, no aliens and no foreigners," Reitz said in a video on X. "If you violate federal election law, I will hunt you down and prosecute you."