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US Politics

Democrat James Talarico wins Texas Senate seat, beating Republican Ken Paxton

He is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988, and his early votes alone topped Paxton's total, state data show.

10 news outlets reported this
Liberal6 outletsTalarico's early votes alone beat Paxton's totalCenter1 outletTalarico's offer to work with RepublicansConservative3 outletsDemocrats' surprise win and Talarico's filibuster stance
Published 3 min read
Overview

Democrat James Talarico won the U.S. race in Texas on Tuesday, defeating Republican Ken Paxton, the state . He is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. State data show Talarico with 5,444,982 votes to Paxton's 4,249,373, and Talarico's 4,397,474 alone were more than Paxton's total.

The New Republic reports a result of 55 percent to 43 percent. According to The Daily Beast, Trump had endorsed Paxton in a May runoff against then-incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Democrat Gina Hinojosa also won the governor's race, defeating Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Democrats are projected to take both and the Senate, ABC News reports. In an ABC interview, Talarico said he would work with Republicans and President Trump. He said could be repealed and he hopes to end the war in Iran.

In an NBC News interview, he said he wants Democrats to abolish the Senate , according to The Daily Wire. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to say whether Democrats would do so.

Key figures

Three sides of the story

Liberal6 outlets

Talarico's early votes alone beat Paxton's total

The Daily Beast and The Independent both lead with early voting: Talarico's early ballots alone, they say, topped what Paxton won overall, citing Texas secretary of state data. The New Republic's headline says Talarico "Won Texas Before Election Day Even Started," and it reports a 55 to 43 percent result and a Democratic sweep of every statewide race. The Independent places the result in a wider "blue tsunami" and quotes Republican strategist Karl Rove saying Paxton "drew down the entire Republican ticket."

It also covers Greg Abbott's loss to Gina Hinojosa and Trump's reaction on Truth Social. The Daily Beast adds Trump's jabs at Paxton's clothes and AdImpact's figure of nearly $300 million in Paxton campaign spending. ABC News leads with Talarico's Good Morning America interview, in which he says the win was "bigger than the Democratic Party or the Republican Party" and lays out plans on costs, tariffs and immigration.

Center1 outlet

Talarico's offer to work with Republicans

The Hill reports that Sen.-elect Talarico says he is "looking forward" to working with Republicans, including elected officials who have said "mean things" about him. It notes he defeated Paxton, the state attorney general, on Tuesday.

Conservative3 outlets

Democrats' surprise win and Talarico's filibuster stance

Fox News leads with Texas Democrats caught off guard. Richard Torres, a former Williamson Democratic Party chair, says "We didn't expect this tonight" and calls the result "a against Trump." Fox puts the margin at over 12 points, well over 1 million votes, and quotes a lifelong Republican who voted Democratic.

The Daily Wire's news report centers on Talarico telling NBC News the filibuster is "a Jim Crow relic" he wants abolished, and notes Schumer declined to say whether Democrats would end it. Two opinion pieces take other angles. A Daily Wire column by Ericka Andersen argues the media apply a "Christian nationalist" label to conservatives but not to religious Democrats.

A Washington Examiner column by Mark Whittington looks at Talarico's outreach to Elon Musk and says he is "no born-again MAGA."

What a side did not mention
All sources: 12 articles from 10 outlets

Liberal (6)

Center (1)

Conservative (5)

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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Attorney General

The head of the Justice Department and the government's chief lawyer. Each state has its own attorney general too.

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Early voting

Voting in person before Election Day. Each state sets the dates and rules.

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House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

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Tariff

A tax on imported goods, paid at the border by the importer, who usually passes some or all of it into prices. Governments use tariffs to protect their producers or to press the other side in a trade dispute.

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Filibuster

A Senate rule: to end debate on most bills and hold a vote, 60 of the 100 senators must agree. This lets a minority block legislation.

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County

A division of a state, the main unit of local government. Counties run local courts, the sheriff and the count of votes in elections.

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Ballot measure

A law or constitutional change that voters approve or reject directly at the polls, alongside the candidates. Names vary by state: proposition, initiative, referendum, amendment.

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