James Talarico defeats Ken Paxton in Texas to win first Democratic Senate seat since 1988

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrat James Talarico on Tuesday, November 3, defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas US Senate race, flipping a Republican-held seat and delivering a historic victory for Democrats in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988. 

The victory marks a major setback for President Donald Trump, who backed Paxton over incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn during the party’s primary contest. Talarico’s win gives Democrats a crucial pickup in their effort to take control of the Senate, while ending a decades-long Republican hold on the state’s Senate representation.

James Talarico defeats Trump-backed Paxton to end Republican Senate streak in Texas

Talarico, 37, a Texas state representative, former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated Paxton, the state’s attorney general and a close Trump ally. Talarico will now become the first Democrat elected to represent Texas in the Senate since Lloyd Bentsen won re-election in 1988.

The result is particularly significant given that Trump carried Texas by nearly 14 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats had repeatedly attempted to make the state competitive, with their most notable recent challenge coming in 2018, when Beto O’Rourke narrowly lost his Senate race against Republican Ted Cruz.

Talarico built his campaign around the rising cost of living, economic inequality and concerns over the influence of wealthy donors in American politics. The democrat sought to attract independent voters and Republicans dissatisfied with the Trump administration, presenting the contest as a divide between wealthy political interests and ordinary Americans rather than a conventional partisan battle.

Talarico’s campaign repeatedly portrayed Paxton as a symbol of political corruption. The attorney general was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 over allegations of corruption and abuse of power, but was acquitted by the state Senate. Separate securities fraud charges were resolved in 2024 through an agreement requiring community service, ethics training and restitution. Paxton has, however, denied any wrongdoing.

Trump had endorsed Paxton over Cornyn, who eventually lost the Republican primary after a bitter contest. The president also campaigned in Texas during the final weeks of the election, holding rallies to boost support for his preferred candidate.

GOP spends hundreds of millions backing Paxton as Musk contributes $158 million

The Texas Senate contest became one of the most expensive races of the 2026 midterms, with combined advertising spending exceeding $500 million. Republican-aligned groups invested hundreds of millions of dollars in efforts to elect Paxton, while billionaire Elon Musk emerged as one of the most prominent financial backers of the Republican campaign.

Musk contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred the same amount to the Texas PAC, the largest contributor supporting Paxton. Musk also donated another $10 million to the Paxton-supporting Lone Star Liberty PAC. Republican advertising repeatedly targeted Talarico over his comments on transgender issues, religious beliefs and interpretations of scripture.

Trump also donated $10 million from his super PAC, MAGA Inc, more than the president spent on any races this year. Talarico's campaign countered the spending advantage through a substantial fundraising operation, reporting $64 million raised in the third quarter. According to his campaign, 97% of donations were below $100.

Republican Senator John Cornyn, whom Paxton defeated in the primary, also congratulated Talarico following the result. “The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the US Senate. I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the US Senate.”