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Democrat James Talarico has won a key US Senate race in Texas, defeating Republican Ken Paxton in what is likely to be the biggest upset for Republicans in this year’s elections, according to “BBC World”.
His victory marks the first time a Democrat has won a US Senate seat in Texas since 1988. It also contributed to Democrats taking full control of Congress amid a wave of victories across the country.
Talarico, a former schoolteacher who was little known until last year, made the rising cost of living under Republican leadership a central theme of his campaign. Paxton argued that Talarico’s views were too progressive for Texas and campaigned alongside Donald Trump on several occasions.
Campaign focused on costs and turnout
Supporters erupted at an election-night watch party in Austin, the state capital, after television networks projected Talarico as the winner. For decades, many Texas liberals had considered a Democratic victory in a statewide race unlikely.
Texas, the country’s second-most populous state, has long been a Republican stronghold. During the campaign, polls suggested that Talarico, a state legislator, was gaining support and energising Democrats seeking new leadership.
Spending in the contest rose above half a billion dollars, making it the most expensive US Senate race in history. Billionaire Elon Musk contributed $158m (£117m) to a super PAC supporting Paxton, a figure Talarico used in his criticism of the Republican campaign.
Two members of the Bush family, the Republican political dynasty with longstanding ties to Texas politics, backed Talarico. George Washington University political science professor Quardricos Driskell told “BBC World” that Paxton was a major factor in the Republican defeat, describing him as an “objectively terrible candidate”.
Driskell called Talarico’s win, alongside the defeat of Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, “absolutely historic”. Abbott’s loss was the first time a Democrat had won a Texas gubernatorial race since the 1990s.
“This wasn’t just a tsunami, not just a referendum, but this was a bloodbath,” Driskell said of Democratic gains in Texas. “A clear distinction that the country wants to go in a different direction”.
Talarico first defeated Dallas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary. He then maintained strong poll numbers despite a barrage of negative advertising, including attacks over past comments in support of transgender people.
He often referred to his religious upbringing on the campaign trail. Talarico is the grandson of a Southern Baptist preacher and spent time in a seminary; his speeches included biblical references.
Voter concerns over costs and immigration
Paxton had faced several political scandals. In 2023, his own party impeached him over corruption allegations, but the state Senate later acquitted him. He was also indicted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission on federal fraud charges, which were later dismissed.
Trump made several campaign stops in Texas to boost support for Paxton and other Republicans, including in reliably Republican areas—a sign of party leaders’ concern about turnout.
Voters had grown frustrated with high consumer costs, including petrol prices, and many blamed Trump’s tariff policies and the Iran war. Hispanic voters and people living along the US-Mexico border also objected to Trump’s immigration policies.
Although border crossings fell sharply under Trump, polls indicated that his support among Hispanic voters—who account for a third of Texas’s population—had declined significantly. Surveys conducted since late summer suggested that a majority of Hispanic voters in Texas disapproved of the president. Many had switched to Trump in 2024 to help him win the White House, but polling indicated they were now favouring Democrats by a substantial margin.
Hispanic Texans who spoke to “BBC World” before the election cited Trump’s immigration crackdown as a reason for changing their views. They pointed to enforcement measures that led to citizens being detained and non-violent offenders being rounded up indiscriminately.
