Democrat Talarico Wins Texas Senate Race as Democrats Sweep Statewide Contests

Democrat James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race in Texas on Tuesday, leading Republican Attorney General Paxton by about 55 percent to 43 percent, according to the Texas secretary of state's website. All 254 counties were reporting, though results are not yet certified. Talarico's 4,397,474 early votes exceeded Paxton's overall total of 4,249,373, in a record early turnout of 7.4 million. Democrats also won every statewide race. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott by nearly 700,000 votes and will be the first Latina governor. Democrats also flipped four state Supreme Court seats and may take the state House for the first time since 2003. The Associated Press said Talarico is the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate general election since 1988. On Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz, who was not on the ballot, said he had congratulated Talarico. In a post on X, he called the results a "blue tsunami" and a "Watergate-level repudiation," as Republicans lost both chambers of Congress. In Denton County, Talarico beat Paxton 53.3 percent to 44.9 percent, while Republican Rep. Brandon Gill won reelection.

The New Republic leads with the numbers: Talarico's early vote beat Paxton's total, his 12-point margin in a state Trump won by 13.7 points in 2024, and the Democratic sweep, which it reads as punishment of Republicans. The Washington Post headlines Cruz's "Watergate-level" remark and notes his congratulations to Talarico. Fox News also centers on Cruz's X post and its "blue tsunami" wording, presenting it as a blunt warning that Republicans lost touch with voters, and quotes him more fully. Breitbart narrows to Denton County, noting Gill's win and Talarico's countywide lead, and cites precinct counts and margins in Gill's district. Both sides agree on the Democratic sweep and the margin. They differ in framing: the left stresses Democratic strength, while the right stresses Cruz's criticism of his own party or Republican holds locally. Democracy Now! differs in giving Hinojosa's win prominence, dating Talarico's milestone to 1993, and quoting organizer Mike Siegel on public education, data centers and ICE.