Texas turns blue as James Talarico humiliates scandal-plagued Ken Paxton in historic Senate upset

Democrat James Talarico has pulled off a political earthquake in Texas, defeating scandal-plagued Republican Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the state's Senate delegation in 38 years.

The extraordinary victory shatters a Republican stranglehold on the Lone Star State, which has not elected a Democrat to any statewide office since 1994, and deals a devastating blow to President Donald Trump and his party's hopes of retaining control of the Senate.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott was also ousted by Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in a stunning upset as part of the 'blue tsunami' taking shape across the United States on a devastating night for Trump.

At Talarico's election night headquarters at downtown Austin's the mood was electric. 

Supporters listened to live bands, sipped Love Street Blonde tallboys and cheered as the House of Representatives flipped to Democratic control and both Talarico and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Gina Hinojosa led their Republican opponents.

Talarico's crowd erupted when his victory was called at 10 p.m. - but grew even louder when CNN called Hinojosa's victory. 

Supporters also busted out a 'U-S-A' chant. Outside the venue, people could be heard honking their car horns in celebration.

Both Democrats had campaigned together and held a joint rally Monday night at a barbecue joint in Austin. 

Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico addresses a crowd at a rally in Austin Monday night. On Tuesday, voters elected him the first US senator to represent Texas since 1988

Supporters react to the race being called for Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico at an election watch party in downtown Austin

Talarico's race was the most expensive Senate race in US history. 

And it didn't have to be. 

Trump meddled in the race in May, telling MAGA voters to choose Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn as they faced off in a Republican primary runoff, which was just one week away. 

The President put his thumb on the scale because Cornyn had not always been loyal and had previously criticized Trump, at one point saying that 'time has passed him by.'

With Trump's endorsement, Paxton easily won.

Senate Republicans saw this coming. 

Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned that 'we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee.'

Before the race was officially called, Cornyn congratulated Talarico on social media.

'The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,' Cornyn posted to X. 'I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.'

At that point in the night, Talarico was 18 points ahead of Paxton.  

On the Democratic side, voters chose the candidate who they thought had more bipartisan appeal, Talarico, over firebrand US Representative Jasmine Crockett, who entered the Senate race in December after the GOP-led legislature gerrymandered her House district.

Supporters of Texas Senate Democratic hopeful James Talarico cheer as Democrats won big Tuesday night in the midterm election 

President Donald Trump (left) stands alongside Texas Republican Senate hopeful, Attorney General Ken Paxton (right), during a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, last Tuesday 

The race had the makings to be a repeat of the 2017 Senate special election in Alabama, where a deeply flawed Republican candidate, Roy Moore, lost to a Democrat, former Senator Doug Jones, in a very red state.

But Democrats also worried it could be an echo of the heartbreak they experienced in 2018 when Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke came so close – 2.6 percent away – from unseating Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz. 

Unlike Moore in Alabama, who was facing accusations of trying to date teenage girls when he was in his 30s which he denied, Paxton's personal scandals involved two alleged affairs and a high-profile 'Biblical' divorce announcement from his wife, Texas state Senator Angela Paxton. 

Angela Paxton later backed the 'Republican ticket,' but didn't use her estranged husband's name. 

Paxton's campaign was also hobbled by a bevy of corruption charges, including a 2023 impeachment courtesy of members of his own party. Paxton was acquitted by the Texas state Senate. 

Talarico blasted Paxton's record in a series of final ads. 

'Ken Paxton says I don't have his experience.  And he's right,' the 37-year-old state representative said. 'I've never been indicted for fraud. I've never been reported to the FBI for bribery. I've never been impeached by my own party. And I've never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile.'

Paxton and Republicans used some of Talarico's questionable statements – including that God is 'non-binary' – and support for trans rights to weigh him down with a wedge issue that was still motivating Texas voters. 

President Donald Trump nicknamed Democrat James Talarico 'Talafreako,' which his campaign embraced and started using to sell T-shirts 

Supporters at a rally headlined by President Donald Trump in for GOP Senate hopeful Ken Paxton sported the latest in MAGA fashion  

President Donald Trump pauses his speech in Lubbock, Texas, to play a video critical of Democratic Senate nominee, state Representative James Talarico 

Talarico, a seminary student, admitted the non-binary quip was him trying to be 'provocative.'  

Paxton also labeled Talarico 'low T' – for low testosterone – and pushed that he was a 'vegan,' even though the Democrat eats meat. Talarico had previously talked about eating less meat to be environmentally conscious. 

Trump traveled to Texas four times during the final campaign stretch. 

Republican Senate hopeful, Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) shakes the hand of a young attendee at a rally last week with President Donald Trump in Lubbock, Texas 

Supporters of Democratic candidates for governor, state Representative Gina Hinojosa, and for Senate, state Representative James Talarico, hold up masks at a rally for Talarico in Dallas

During his rallies, the President rehashed a disproven conspiracy theory that Talarico had left the campaign trail to seek mental health treatment in Ohio. 

Trump said he suspected something different had happened. 

'Now, I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can't stand it,' Trump claimed at his rally in Corpus Christi. 

At his final appearance in Texas, Trump bombastically pushed that Talarico believed that Jesus supported sex changes. 

'Not only did Talafreako state that God is transgender, he actually said that if Jesus Christ himself came and visited the Texas legislature, Jesus would be promoting sex changes for little children,' Trump declared onstage in Lubbock last Tuesday night.   

Still, some Talarico supporters told the Daily Mail that they believed certain Republicans would join them in supporting the Democrat at the ballot box – even if they're not public about it.

Among those convinced was former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who left his party and his home state of Illinois and relocated to Texas. 

'I don't think any Republican will admit that they're going to be a crossover voter, but in that privacy of the ballot box, I think there will be a lot,' Kinzinger told the Daily Mail at a Talarico event in Houston. 

Trump carried the state by 14 points just two years ago. Before Talarico, Republicans had won 13 straight Senate races in Texas, ten of them by double digits.

Beto O’Rourke came closest, losing to Ted Cruz by 2.6 points in 2018, and Colin Allred lost to Cruz by 8.5 points in 2024.