James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win statewide in Texas since 1994

State Representative James Talarico won the US Senate race in Texas on Tuesday, according to ​media projections, defeating President Donald Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton ‌to end Democrats’ 32-year statewide losing streak and give his party a major boost in the battle for Senate control.

It was a striking ​Democratic breakthrough in a state Republicans have long ​dominated. Trump carried the state by 14 percentage points ⁠in 2024. Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has been at ​the center of controversies that include a 2023 impeachment and ​a securities fraud case.

Talarico, a four-term state legislator and one of the nation’s top Senate fundraisers, overcame heavy outside spending in the most ​expensive Senate race of the cycle. He began as an ​underdog against former US Representative Colin Allred, the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee, ‌who ⁠later withdrew to run for Congress again.

Talarico went on to defeat US Representative Jasmine Crockett for the Democratic nomination, dealing a political blow to his former state legislative colleague.

Democrats capture Congress in sweeping setback for Trump

Republicans spent ​more than $316 million ​to retain ⁠the seat. Republican US Senator John Cornyn was ousted in a primary runoff after Trump ​endorsed Paxton. Republican leaders had viewed Cornyn as ​the ⁠stronger general-election candidate.

Paxton used his role as attorney general to sue former President Joe Biden’s administration more than 100 times.

Republicans held ⁠a ​53-47 Senate majority going into Tuesday’s elections, ​with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control.