Eggcorn Forum

I am not sure how to classify this one. It might be purposeful, or it might be an error. It strikes me as a malaprop at least. It was in a published source (npr online) in an article about U.S. elections.

divisive social issues [in context specifically transgender policy] can move the needle. ¶ “If it moves a small sect of voters, that could still be key,” Taylor said.

Either word could conceivably fit the context, so to that extent it is eggcornish. To me, “set” would be the expected form, and “sect” is highly surprising.
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It could be that Taylor actually pronounced the [k]. This might be a Freudian slip (suggesting that those reacting strongly, especially negatively, to the currently fashionable transgender policy are a kind of religious sect). Or it might be a phonetically or otherwise mistakenly motivated slip of the tongue. Even the written form, assuming it is misquoted from Taylor’s words, could be a Freudian slip or some other kind of intrusion of a keystroke. (It would not be a natural fingerslip typo on a qwerty keyboard.)
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In any case, it would be a full-fledged eggcorn only if it was standard for Taylor or for the person misquoting him in reporting his words, and if it replaced the phrase “set of voters”. It probably does not clear that bar.