AUSTIN: Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the race for U.S. Senate, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection, handing Democrats their first statewide victory in Texas in more than three decades.
With about 67% of votes counted, Talarico led Paxton 59.2% to 39.2%.
Talarico, a 37-year-old seminarian and four-term legislator from Austin, will be the first Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate since 1993. A former middle school teacher, he was new to federal politics before the campaign.
Paxton, a hardline conservative endorsed by President Donald Trump, is known as one of the anti-abortion movement’s staunchest advocates. He served three terms as attorney general, during which he filed numerous legal challenges against the Biden administration on border and culture-war issues, often citing his court wins on the campaign trail.
The result is a significant setback for Trump, who backed Paxton despite warnings from other Republican leaders that the attorney general’s legal and ethical troubles could put the seat at risk and force the party to spend heavily to defend it. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges but was acquitted by the state Senate.
Most expensive Senate race in state history
The contest became the most expensive Senate race in Texas history. Republicans spent more than $280 million on advertising, including a large contribution from billionaire Elon Musk, who gave nearly $200 million in an effort to secure a Republican win, according to the Texas Tribune.
Paxton’s campaign also drew attention for attacks on Talarico’s masculinity, including describing him as “low-T,” a reference to testosterone levels often used by influencers in online “manosphere” circles. The race also featured anti-transgender attacks.
Talarico centered his message on the economy, blaming high gas and grocery prices on billionaires and corrupt politicians. Polls and approval data showed Paxton struggling under the weight of his legal baggage and voter frustration with the economy.
A long drought for Texas Democrats
The last Democrat to hold a Texas Senate seat was Bob Krueger, who was appointed in 1993 by then-Gov. Ann Richards, a Democrat, to fill the vacancy created when Lloyd Bentsen became treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton. Bentsen was the last Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas. Krueger’s tenure ended in June 1993, 33 years ago.
Democrats last won a statewide race in Texas in 1994.
The outcome carries symbolic weight given Texas’ status as a longtime stronghold of the Republican Party, whose dominance in the state took root during the George W. Bush era under a business-friendly brand of conservatism and continued through the party’s shift toward its hardline MAGA wing.
The win also adds a seat for Democrats in a Senate chamber that began election night under Republican control but appeared to be tilting toward Democrats, who led in several other swing states.
