In perhaps the most-watched race in the 2026 midterm elections, Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Attorney General to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Talarico’s victory, overcoming GOP attacks and questions about his appeal to Black Democratic voters, ends a more than three decades-long drought for Democrats in statewide elections in Texas, cracking a GOP stronghold and potentially flipping control of the Senate.
Talarico wins Senate seat, ending 32-year losing streak for Democrats in Texas
The Associated Press declared that Texas state Rep. James Talarico won the election to represent the state in the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The win makes Talarico the first Democrat to win any statewide office in Texas since 1994 and came as Democrats won key victories in a number of Republican strongholds. Talarico will take the place of longterm Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who was defeated in the Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Cornyn posted about Talarico’s victory on X, saying “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.”
Outreach to Black voters after campaign controversies
Talarico’s victory put to rest questions raised about his electability in Texas. Talarico became the Democratic nominee for Senate by defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the party’s primary, setting up the race against Paxton. The primary race left the perception of bad blood between Talarico and Crockett and was punctuated by accusations of racism against Crockett from Talarico supporters; Talarico was also accused of making a racially charged remark against Rep. Colin Allred, an ally of Crockett, with Talarico disputing the claim. During the general election, Crockett largely stayed out of the Senate race, instead campaigning for down-ballot candidates, while Talarico publicly called on his supporters to “keep Congresswoman Crockett’s name out of your mouth’ while he conducted outreach to Black voters. Talarico’s campaign also conducted significant outreach to Hispanic voters.
Overcoming Republican attacks as Trump remains unpopular
Meanwhile, Republican primary voters chose to oust Cornyn, instead choosing right-wing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a polarizing and controversial figure whose far-right policies have alienated many voters, with even members of the Bush family announcing their support for Talarico. Trump, meanwhile, awkwardly endorsed Paxton while also promising $5000 cash payouts to Americans if Republicans retained control of Congress. The president frequently attacked Talarico, criticizing him as too liberal for Texas and even falsely claiming Talarico was vegan. The Trump administration also sought to limit publicity for the Talarico campaign, with threats from the FCC causing CBS and ABC not to broadcast interviews of Talarico done by late night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, respectively.
Despite intra-party divisions, opposition from the Trump administration and Democrats’ poor track record in winning statewide elections in Texas, Talarico was able to capitalize on Republican discontent and mobilize enough Democrats to win in the Lone Star State. His victory moved Democrats closer to their goal of retaking control of the Senate and it puts Texas, previously seen as a reliably red state, in play for upcoming elections.