James Talarico makes history with Texas Senate win, ends Democrats' 38-year drought

Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, according to a projection by Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). The victory marks a major breakthrough for Democrats in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades.

The 37-year-old's win is also a boost for Democrats as they seek to gain control of the US Senate. Texas last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1988.

Talarico's victory came despite strong financial backing for his rival. Elon Musk, the world's richest man and Tesla CEO, was a vocal supporter of Ken Paxton and poured more than $100 million into the Republican campaign in Texas.

Who is James Talarico?

Talarico built his campaign around unity, drawing on his faith and experience as a former public school teacher. He is also a Presbyterian seminarian.

He has kept distance from rigid party positions, helping him appeal to a wider section of Texas voters. Much of his campaign focused on reaching independent voters and those who do not traditionally support Democrats.

Opinion polls before the November 3 vote showed Talarico emerging as the frontrunner. However, many Democrats remained cautious, given the party's repeated failures to win statewide elections in Texas.

Also Read: US House race: Democrats take commanding lead with 132 seats, Republicans trail at 77; majority mark 218

Why was Ken Paxton a controversial choice?

Paxton faced years of criticism over scandals during his time as Texas attorney general. He also survived an impeachment attempt in 2023 over corruption charges.

His personal life came under scrutiny last year when his wife of nearly four decades filed for divorce on “biblical grounds”.

Paxton also blamed the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention in Dallas for hurting his campaign. In audio leaked to The New York Times in September, he said the convention “dropped our numbers”.

President Donald Trump offered mixed support for Paxton during his campaign speeches. While urging Texans to vote for the Republican, Trump called him “a pain in the a--” and “a little controversial”.

Trump's own approval rating had also come under pressure amid public frustration over the economy and the war in Iran.

Talarico invokes David vs Goliath in victory speech

Addressing supporters after his victory, Talarico declared, “We defeated Goliath”.

“In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths. The richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world, and the entire Washington, DC establishment,” Talarico told a victory rally in Austin, the Texas capital.