Democratic candidate James Talarico is projected to win his seat in the Texas Senate – a US Midterms upset of seismic proportions.
Talarico, the son of a preacher, defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race in what has been described as one of the greatest wins in Democratic history.
A Republican stronghold, Talarico will become the first Democratic senator to hold Texas since 1988.
It’s a win that’s been described as a “pristine moment” for the Democrats by LBC’s Lewis Goodall, speaking from a watch party in Texas.
Talarico’s victory will come as the ultimate humiliation for Trump, in a state that was all but a pipe dream for the party in recent years.
One of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 Midterms, the victory signals a distinct shift in voter sentiment away from the Trump administration.
The result could have significant implications when it comes to the overall control of the Senate, with Democrats requiring just four seats at the start of the night.
Republicans were defending a narrow majority on Tuesday evening, but within just a few hours of polls closing across parts of the country, the red strongholds had begun to topple.
A string of traditionally safe Republican Senate seats – including North and South Carolina – had already been flipped by the Democrats.
Talarico’s win will now ensure he leads the country’s second-biggest state, one that Trump stormed to victory in by nearly 14 percentage points back in the 2024 presidential election.
