Talarico Flips Texas Senate Seat in Historic Upset

Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton to flip Texas’s U.S. Senate seat, becoming the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate race since 1988 and the first Democrat elected statewide in Texas since 1994. The upset ended decades of Republican dominance in a state Donald Trump carried by roughly 14 points in 2024; NBC News projected that Democrats would take control of both chambers of Congress. Talarico, an Austin-area state representative and former teacher, campaigned on affordability, public education and limiting wealthy donors’ influence, and later called for unity and political reform, including on healthcare, campaign finance and economic fairness. Paxton emphasized conservative priorities and Trump’s support; his nomination followed a primary victory over incumbent John Cornyn and was shadowed by legal and ethical controversies, while reports put general-election spending above $575 million. Republican supporters expressed shock at the losses, with some Paxton supporters blaming Trump, and Elon Musk, who reportedly spent about $250 million backing Republican candidates, joked about space-based data centers; Cornyn congratulated Talarico on the breakthrough.