Democrat James Talarico Flips Texas Senate Seat Blue

Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Texas Senate seat, projects Decision Desk HQ. 

According to Decision Desk HQ, with 68% of votes counted, Talarico received 55.3% to Paxton’s 43%, marking the first time a Democrat has held the seat since 1988.

Talarico, a Democrat state representative from Austin, won the Democratic Party nomination in March, defeating Democrat U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Paxton won the Republican primary after defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the primary runoff.

“We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas,” Talarico said in his victory speech. “We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love.”

“And we just sent a message to every billionaire megadonor, every trillionaire megadonor. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people,” he added. 

The contest drew national attention as Talarico sought to win statewide office in a state where Democrats have not won in decades. Polling throughout the contest showed that Talarico was consistently ahead of Paxton, with recent polling ahead of Election Day showing they were tied.

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“Let me start off by congratulating James Talarico,” Paxton said after suffering the loss. “I will commit that I will be praying for him that he will do good for Texas and this nation.”

Cornyn also offered his congratulations.

“The voters have spoken, and I want to extend 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,” the outgoing senator said.

Talarico ran on numerous issues, including making life more affordable for Texans by raising the federal minimum wage, allowing all Americans to enroll in Medicare, lowering housing costs, and providing property tax breaks for childcare providers. He also campaigned on school district homestead exemptions and tax relief for elderly and disabled homeowners. 

Another issue he fiercely campaigned on was border security, insisting that he wants to strengthen border security, support law enforcement response efforts, maximize safety, and enhance infrastructure and road technology at the border. 

Both issues raised questions from critics and Paxton’s campaign, as Talarico’s legislative record and past statements showed a stark difference from what he was campaigning on.

Paxton campaigned on multiple issues, including affordability, where he introduced his “Protecting the Texas Promise” plan that would reduce taxes for homeowners and provide parents with a larger tax credit, alongside doubling the child tax credit to $4,400 per child under 17. 

Another big issue for Texans that Paxton touched on was securing the border, and Paxton said he would fully support President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure the southern border and fund Border Patrol agents with the tools necessary to stop illegal immigration. 

In Paxton’s bid, he received multiple endorsements from Trump, 18 Republican U.S. representatives, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

Talarico will now take over Cornyn’s seat and will serve a six-year term in the U.S. Senate. 

Talarico will begin his term on Jan. 3, 2027. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:24 a.m. on Wednesday.