Talarico flips Texas Senate seat, ending 38-year Democratic drought
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Talarico becomes the first Democrat elected to represent Texas in the Senate since 1988. Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas' closely watched U.S. Senate race, delivering a historic breakthrough for Democrats in a state Republicans have dominated for decades.
Why it matters: Talarico's victory ends the nation's longest Democratic drought in statewide elections and flips a critical Senate seat as Democrats fight for control of the chamber.
- The Austin-area state representative becomes the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
- His win also marks the first Democratic victory in a Texas statewide election since 1994, a stunning reversal in a state President Trump carried by nearly 14 points in 2024.
The big picture: The race became the nation's most expensive Senate battle after Texas Attorney General Paxton defeated longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary, with massive spending from both parties.
- Republican leaders had warned that Paxton's nomination could jeopardize the seat, and the party poured enormous resources into defending it.
On the campaign trail: Talarico, a former public school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, built his campaign around affordability, public education and criticism of wealthy donors' influence over politics.
- Paxton, a three-term Texas attorney general and close ally of President Trump, emphasized immigration enforcement and conservative policies.
Between the lines: Paxton's candidacy exposed divisions within the Texas GOP, with party leaders initially warning that nominating the attorney general could endanger a seat Republicans had held for decades.
- Paxton defeated Cornyn in the May Republican primary runoff after securing Trump's endorsement, setting up the costly general election battle.
- His campaign was also shadowed by years of legal and ethical controversies, including his 2023 impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House. The state Senate later acquitted him.
The backdrop: Democrats have spent decades trying to turn Texas blue, with former Rep. Beto O'Rourke coming within roughly 220,000 votes of unseating Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.
- Talarico's win marks a breakthrough for a party that has repeatedly fallen short in statewide contests, even as Texas' population and political landscape have changed.
What's next: Talarico will take office in January.
