Texas Democrat James Talarico Pulls Off Extraordinary Upset

Democrat James Talarico has delivered a stunning upset in Texas, defeating scandal-hit Republican Ken Paxton and becoming the first Democrat elected to the state’s U.S. Senate delegation in 38 years.

The historic result ends a Republican grip on the Lone Star State, which has not chosen a Democrat for statewide office since 1994. It also represents a major setback for President Donald Trump and Republican hopes of maintaining control of the Senate.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott was likewise defeated by Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in another remarkable upset, adding to the “blue tsunami” sweeping across the country in a disastrous night for Trump and his party.

The atmosphere at Talarico’s election-night headquarters in downtown Austin was electric.

Supporters heard live music, drank Love Street Blonde tallboys and roared as the House of Representatives shifted to Democratic control. The crowd also celebrated as Talarico and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa moved ahead of their Republican rivals.

Cheers erupted when Talarico’s victory was called at 10 p.m., although the noise rose even further after CNN projected Hinojosa as the winner.

The celebrations included a loud “U-S-A” chant, while car horns sounded outside the venue as supporters marked the unexpected Democratic victories.

Talarico and Hinojosa had campaigned side by side, holding a joint rally Monday night at an Austin barbecue restaurant.

Talarico’s contest became the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history.

The extraordinary price tag, however, may have been avoidable.

Trump intervened in the race in May, urging MAGA supporters to back Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff, held just one week later.

The president backed Paxton after years of tension with Cornyn, who had not always remained aligned with Trump and had previously criticized him, at one point declaring that “time has passed him by.”

Buoyed by Trump’s endorsement, Paxton secured a comfortable victory.

Republican leaders had already recognized the danger.

Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned that “we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee.”

Before the result was officially declared, Cornyn took to social media to congratulate Talarico.

“The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,” Cornyn wrote on X. “I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.”

By that stage, Talarico held an 18-point lead over Paxton.

On the Democratic side, voters chose the candidate who they thought had more bipartisan appeal, Talarico, over firebrand US Representative Jasmine Crockett, who entered the Senate race in December after the GOP-led legislature gerrymandered her House district.

The race had the makings to be a repeat of the 2017 Senate special election in Alabama, where a deeply flawed Republican candidate, Roy Moore, lost to a Democrat, former Senator Doug Jones, in a very red state.

But Democrats also worried it could be an echo of the heartbreak they experienced in 2018 when Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke came so close – 2.6 percent away – from unseating Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown Scores a Major Victory Over Jon Husted in Senate Race

Unlike Moore in Alabama, who was facing accusations of trying to date teenage girls when he was in his 30s which he denied, Paxton’s personal scandals involved two alleged affairs and a high-profile ‘Biblical’ divorce announcement from his wife, Texas state Senator Angela Paxton. 

Angela Paxton later backed the ‘Republican ticket,’ but didn’t use her estranged husband’s name. 

Paxton’s campaign was also hobbled by a bevy of corruption charges, including a 2023 impeachment courtesy of members of his own party. Paxton was acquitted by the Texas state Senate. 

Talarico blasted Paxton’s record in a series of final ads. 

‘Ken Paxton says I don’t have his experience.  And he’s right,’ the 37-year-old state representative said. ‘I’ve never been indicted for fraud. I’ve never been reported to the FBI for bribery. I’ve never been impeached by my own party. And I’ve never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile.’

Paxton and Republicans used some of Talarico’s questionable statements – including that God is ‘non-binary’ – and support for trans rights to weigh him down with a wedge issue that was still motivating Texas voters. 

Talarico, a seminary student, admitted the non-binary quip was him trying to be ‘provocative.’  

Paxton also labeled Talarico ‘low T’ – for low testosterone – and pushed that he was a ‘vegan,’ even though the Democrat eats meat. Talarico had previously talked about eating less meat to be environmentally conscious. 

Trump traveled to Texas four times during the final campaign stretch. 

During his rallies, the President rehashed a disproven conspiracy theory that Talarico had left the campaign trail to seek mental health treatment in Ohio. 

Trump said he suspected something different had happened. 

‘Now, I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can’t stand it,’ Trump claimed at his rally in Corpus Christi. 

At his final appearance in Texas, Trump bombastically pushed that Talarico believed that Jesus supported sex changes. 

‘Not only did Talafreako state that God is transgender, he actually said that if Jesus Christ himself came and visited the Texas legislature, Jesus would be promoting sex changes for little children,’ Trump declared onstage in Lubbock last Tuesday night.   

Still, some Talarico supporters told the Daily Mail that they believed certain Republicans would join them in supporting the Democrat at the ballot box – even if they’re not public about it.

Among those convinced was former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who left his party and his home state of Illinois and relocated to Texas. 

‘I don’t think any Republican will admit that they’re going to be a crossover voter, but in that privacy of the ballot box, I think there will be a lot,’ Kinzinger told the Daily Mail at a Talarico event in Houston. 

Trump carried the state by 14 points just two years ago. Before Talarico, Republicans had won 13 straight Senate races in Texas, ten of them by double digits.

Beto O’Rourke came closest, losing to Ted Cruz by 2.6 points in 2018, and Colin Allred lost to Cruz by 8.5 points in 2024.