James Talarico defeated scandal-ridden Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who failed to mobilize his party base despite a Donald Trump endorsement and half a billion dollars in campaign expenditures. The night also saw Gina Hinojosa defeat Greg Abbott to become the first Latino governor in Texas history, ending a decade of Abbott's conservative administration. Democrats framed the dual victories as a definitive rejection of Republican economic management and strict immigration policies. Additionally, Democrats preparing to take control of Congress now plan to scrutinize Elon Musk's role leading the federal DOGE panel.
Key points
Democrats secured their first statewide election victories in Texas since 1994 by flippin…: Democrats secured their first statewide election victories in Texas since 1994 by flipping both the Senate and gubernatorial seats.
Ken Paxton struggled to build internal party enthusiasm despite receiving Donald Trump's…: Ken Paxton struggled to build internal party enthusiasm despite receiving Donald Trump's primary endorsement over John Cornyn.
Congressional Democrats are expected to investigate Elon Musk's actions as head of the DO…: Congressional Democrats are expected to investigate Elon Musk's actions as head of the DOGE federal cost-cutting panel following the race.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
James Talarico has won the United States Senate race in Texas, the first time a Democrat has won state office since 1994.
Tuesday’s victory marks a seismic shift in Texas, which has become a standard-bearer for staunch conservative policies for the Republican Party.
The win comes after a primary intervention by US President Donald Trump, which saw him endorse scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Republican Senate candidate John Cornyn.
But Paxton failed to generate enthusiasm, even among his own party. That came despite record-breaking spending, topping over half a billion dollars.
The largest share came from billionaire donor Elon Musk, who spent at least $212 million supporting Paxton.
Musk’s SpaceX company is based in Texas. He has spent heavily across the country, with Democrats expected to investigate his role as head of the federal cost-cutting panel, DOGE, after taking control of Congress.
“It’s historic,” said Taylor Bell, a 27-year-old law student, who attended an election watch party in Houston.
“Hopefully we see money coming back to the people of Texas, and not more of the same we’ve seen…
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