Talarico wins Texas Senate seat, ending 38-year Democratic drought

James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race in Texas on Tuesday, defeating Ken Paxton to secure the state's upper chamber seat.

The Associated Press called the race at 10 p.m. after Talarico established a commanding lead in the final vote count. This result marks a historic shift for the state, as Texans last elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1988 when they reelected Lloyd Bentsen. A Democrat has not held the seat since 1993, when Robert Krueger was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Bentsen's resignation.

Talarico will officially claim the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn on Jan. 3, 2027. This victory closes the gap that Beto O'Rourke left in 2018, when he missed unseating Ted Cruz by approximately 215,000 votes. That 2018 race was the closest a Democrat had come to winning a Texas Senate election until Tuesday.

The path to the general election featured intense competition within both parties. Paxton, who has served as Texas attorney general since 2014, announced his Senate bid during a Fox News interview in April 2025. He filed official paperwork to enter the race in November of last year. In the Republican primary on March 3, 2026, Paxton faced U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt and Sen. John Cornyn. No candidate secured a majority, forcing a May runoff between Paxton and Cornyn. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton in the final days of that contest, and Paxton ultimately won the runoff to become the Republican nominee.

Talarico launched his campaign at a rally in Round Rock on Sept. 9, 2025. He currently represents District 50 in the Texas House, which includes parts of Austin and Pflugerville. Before securing the Democratic nomination, he faced a competitive primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Talarico defeated Crockett on March 3, capturing 53 percent of the vote to her 45 percent.

The campaign was characterized by attack ads, rallies, and various controversies, though the two candidates never held a debate. In early February, former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred criticized Talarico over an influencer's claim that Talarico called him a "mediocre Black man." Talarico denied making the specific remark, stating he had instead criticized Allred's campaign strategy.

Shortly after, CBS pulled Talarico's planned interview with Stephen Colbert. The late-night host criticized the network's decision, and the interview was later posted to YouTube, sparking debate over broadcast rules and censorship.

Paxton faced fresh scrutiny in the general election regarding his personal life and record as attorney general. In September, Sen. Angela Paxton urged Republican women to vote for the party even if they were mad at it. She had filed for divorce from Ken in 2025, citing "biblical grounds" and alleging adultery, a claim he denies. Her remarks were viewed as an appeal to support the GOP ticket despite their marital issues.

Talarico also endured online attacks, including false claims about his dietary habits and AI-generated ads. In October, rumors spread that he was in a mental health facility after he stayed out of the public eye for several days. He was actually recovering from the flu at home.

Talarico-aligned Democrats ran ads criticizing Paxton's office for offering a one-day jail plea deal to a man accused of sexually abusing a child. The ads also referenced Paxton's 2023 impeachment by the Texas House and allegations of abuse of office.