The Democrat James Talarico has been projected as the winner of the United States Senate election for Texas this Tuesday, according to NBC News and the Associated Press, which declared him victorious over the Republican Ken Paxton in what would be a historic outcome for that state.
"Texas forever", Talarico stated succinctly on his social media following the victory.
«The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate. I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate», said outgoing Republican Senator John Cornyn.
This is the first time a Democrat has won a federal Senate election in Texas since 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen secured his last re-election to that position. Texas has exclusively elected Republican senators for almost four decades, reported the AP agency.
Talarico, 37, is a state representative for the Austin area, a former public school teacher, and a Presbyterian seminarian. His campaign focused on the cost of living and the controversial record of Paxton, the state's attorney general and an ally of President Donald Trump.
Paradoxically, Paxton had defeated the sitting Republican Senator John Cornyn in the primaries by 27 points, with explicit support from Trump. However, his record weighed heavily on the contest: he was subjected to an impeachment process in May 2023—the state House voted 121-23 to impeach him—and although he was acquitted by the state Senate, he also resolved securities fraud charges from 2015 through a settlement.
"In the race for the Senate, Ken Paxton was not a strong candidate. He had been formally accused and had undergone impeachment," noted correspondent Ed O'Keefe during the live broadcast on CBS News.
The contest became the most expensive Senate election in U.S. history, with between $560 and $573 million spent on advertising. Elon Musk allocated at least $168 million to support groups for Paxton, primarily for the Senate Leadership Fund. Despite this unprecedented investment, the preliminary results favored the Democratic candidate.
Talarico had raised 146 million dollars by mid-October, compared to just 22.3 million for Paxton, according to records from the Federal Election Commission. The latest poll from the New York Times and Siena College gave him 50% compared to 43% for Paxton.
Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Texas, Hinojosa, also held an advantage over Republican Governor Greg Abbott—who was seeking a fourth term—with a difference of 870,000 votes and 54% of the votes counted, in a race similarly described as leaning towards the Democrats.
"It seems like a wave election in the House of Representatives. We're talking about something reminiscent of 2010 and 2006," CBS News noted during its broadcast, as the results continued to come in on election night.
On his part, the Spanish journalist David Alandete, correspondent for ABC, expressed his surprise at what happened in Texas: "20 years since I moved to the United States, 20 years hearing that Texas would vote for the Democrats… and it happened tonight. It's a reality now: senator and governor. Unthinkable."
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