Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race, marking the first Democratic Senate victory in the state since 1988.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Democrat James Talarico has won the U.S. Senate race in Texas, defeating Republican Ken Paxton, according to a race call from the Associated Press. Talarico, a state lawmaker and former middle school teacher, is the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988.
At approximately 10:04 p.m., the Associated Press called the election for Talarico, who was leading with 59.4% of the vote. Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, conceded the election at approximately 10:20 p.m.
According to the AP Voter Poll, Talarico built a diverse coalition that included winning most young voters and most Hispanic voters in the state. Data showed that about three-quarters of voters under 30 voted for Talarico, and roughly 6 in 10 Hispanic voters did the same.
Talarico campaigned on an economic populist message, focusing on the rising cost of living. He used a message centered on "top versus bottom instead of left versus right," telling supporters that the top 1% of wealthy Americans wanted the rest of the country to fight with one another instead of keep a check on those in power.
The race was one of the most expensive in the country, with more than a half-billion dollars spent in combined campaign ads, according to AdImpact. Elon Musk contributed a total of $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which then gave the same amount to Texas PAC, the largest contributor to Paxton's campaign. Musk also gave $10 million to the Paxton-supporting Lone Star Liberty PAC.
Paxton, who had never lost a race since winning election to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002, defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff election earlier this year. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton in that primary.
Paxton's campaign faced scrutiny regarding past scandals, including his 2023 impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives over accusations of abusing his office to help a political donor, for which he was later acquitted by the Texas Senate. He also faced an ongoing divorce from state Senator Angela Paxton.
This victory is part of a broader night for Democrats in Texas, which included Democrat Gina Hinojosa unseating incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The results represent a shift in a state that President Donald Trump carried by double digits two years ago.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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