James Talarico wins Texas Senate race, ending Republican streak

Democrat James Talarico has won Texas’ U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and ending a three-decade Republican hold on statewide office, according to a race call by the Associated Press. CBS News and NBC News also projected Talarico’s victory.

The result gives Democrats a Senate seat they had long sought in Texas. Talarico, a four-term state lawmaker from Austin, beat a close ally of President Donald Trump in a contest that drew heavy spending and national attention. Paxton won the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff, aided by a last-minute Trump endorsement.

Talarico, 37, is a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who identifies as a progressive Christian. He campaigned on lowering costs and fighting corruption, while making education a central issue. He opposed a Texas law requiring public school classrooms to display a Protestant translation of the Ten Commandments; NPR reported that the law faces multiple federal lawsuits.

He also framed the race around wealth and power. His message was “top versus bottom instead of left versus right,” NBC News reported, arguing that wealthy Americans benefit when others fight among themselves rather than hold those in power accountable.

Paxton, 63, faced questions about his record and personal life throughout the campaign. The Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023, and the state Senate later acquitted him. CBS News reported that the impeachment accusations included bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of the public trust. Paxton’s divorce from state Sen. Angela Paxton also drew attention. She said she had sought it on “biblical grounds,” according to NBC News.

Paxton’s campaign said he had been politically persecuted, CBS News reported. Republicans portrayed Talarico as too extreme for Texas, citing past comments on gender and other issues. Talarico has said some of his earlier remarks “missed the mark” and called them “cringey,” according to CBS News.

The race became the most expensive in Texas history, with spending topping half a billion dollars by mid-October, CBS News reported. NBC News reported that Talarico faced a $168 million advertising effort backed by Elon Musk, while NPR reported that conservative super PAC spending in the campaign’s final two months offset Talarico’s fundraising advantage. Trump also campaigned for Paxton, visiting Texas three times in October, according to NBC News.

Talarico attracted national attention through appearances on Joe Rogan’s podcast and an interview with Stephen Colbert that CBS did not broadcast but that subsequently drew a large YouTube audience, NPR reported. NBC News said his campaign drew small-dollar donations from across the country and support from some prominent Republicans, including members of the Bush family.

When asked in a recent interview whether he loved his opponent, Talarico answered: “Yes, Ken Paxton is a child of God. He is my brother in Christ.” He added: “It doesn’t mean there’s not accountability, right? Love requires accountability.”