Did Ted Cruz lose his seat? Did James Talarico win the Texas Senate race? What his victory means for Ted Cruz and the deep-red state that turned blue after nearly four decades

Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Ken Paxton to win a Senate seat. That's a big deal for Texas politics as it's the first time Democrats have won a Senate seat in the state in a very long time. Talarico will take Cornyn's seat when the new Senate convenes in January. That doesn't mean Ted Cruz is out of the Senate, though. Cruz wasn't on the ballot in 2026 and will stay on in the Senate following his re-election in 2024.

The result has also brought a fresh focus to a question which many voters are asking when Texas last elected a Democrat to the US Senate?

Did James Talarico beat Ken Paxton?

Yes. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the November 3 election to flip the Texas Senate seat to his party. NBC News had the winner called as Talarico and the AP likewise called it for him. Paxton had won the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the primary runoff. His campaign was also beset by questions over past controversies. In 2023 he was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, though was acquitted by the state senate.

Separate securities fraud charges were settled in 2024 via an agreement which required Paxton to do community service and ethics training and to pay restitution. He denied any wrongdoing.

Talarico focused heavily on the cost of living, corruption and bringing people together. He also framed the race as a contest between the average Texan and the wealthy donors and powerful political interests.

Speaking to supporters at his election night gathering in Austin, Talarico celebrated the result by saying:

“We just took back Texas! We've just shown that all the money in the world is nothing compared to the people of Texas. We've just shown that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love.”

Is Ted Cruz still a Senator from Texas?

Yes, Ted Cruz is still a US Senator from Texas. He was re-elected in November 2024, defeating Democrat Colin Allred and picking up a third six year term. Cruz isn't running in 2026 so his seat wasn't part of this election. He's expected to stay on in the Senate until January 2031. Cruz had been warning Republicans of the very real possibility of losing ground right up until the day of the election. On his podcast of 30th October, he said the party could go from 53 to 45 Senate seats "if we have a bad day”.

He also warned that the Republicans could lose every single statewide race in Texas, including the Senate race. The Hill has the quote.

When was the last time Texas was a blue state?

Prior to Talarico’s victory the last Democrat to be elected to the US Senate to represent Texas was Lloyd Bentsen who won re-election in 1988. Bentsen first got into the Senate in 1976 and was re-elected in 1982 and 1988. He left the Senate in 1993 to take the Treasury job under President Clinton. Texas Governor Ann Richards then appointed Democrat Bob Krueger to fill the vacancy. Krueger served for only five months before losing a special election to Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.

That marked the beginning of a long period in which Texas voters had not elected a Democrat to the Senate. Talarico’s victory now ends that 38 year drought.


His win gives the Democrats a Senate seat in a state where they've consistently failed to win statewide races. It means Talarico will take Cornyn's place when the new Senate is sworn in in January, with Cruz remaining in office for his term. The inputs are taken from Nacionale, The Guardian, NBC News and The Week.