Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race on Tuesday, November 3, becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since 1988, according to projections from the Associated Press and NBC News.
Talarico, 37, is a state legislator and former middle school teacher. He beat Paxton, the Texas attorney general, in a race that drew national attention and record spending, with more than $570 million spent on advertising, according to USA Today.
Talarico won the Democratic primary in March, defeating Representative Jasmine Crockett, before facing Paxton in the general election. He will take the seat in January 2027, succeeding Senator John Cornyn.
The result ends a drought of nearly four decades for Texas Democrats in Senate races and puts a state long regarded as a Republican stronghold back in play ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Source: USA Today
