James Talarico scores massive win in Texas Senate race, flips seat for Democrats after over three decades; campaigned on working-class issues

Democrat James Talarico has defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the most closely watched Texas’ U.S. Senate race, winning a seat that ends decades of Republican dominance in statewide elections. According to AP, Talarico received 59.21% of the vote, or 41,25,080 votes, compared with Paxton’s 39.21%, or 2,731,396 votes. Libertarian candidate Ted Brown received 1.5%, or 112,560 votes at the time of writing.

The victory marks a major breakthrough for Texas Democrats, who have not won a statewide election since 1994.

Talarico, an eighth-generation Texan, entered politics after working as a sixth-grade language arts teacher at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio. His campaign focused on affordability, public education and the influence of wealthy donors in politics.


His experience in the classroom, particularly with students struggling against poverty, helped shape his political priorities. In his campaign biography, Talarico described the West Side of San Antonio as a historic Mexican-American neighborhood where students faced significant economic challenges.

His own childhood also influenced his political outlook. Talarico has spoken about how his mother left an abusive relationship and raised him while working at a hotel in Austin.

He first won election to the Texas House in 2018, flipping a district that Donald Trump had carried in 2016. As a state representative, he has advocated for public school funding, affordable childcare, lower prescription drug costs and expanded opportunities for young people.

He has described himself as the only member of the Texas Legislature who has never accepted corporate PAC money.

Paxton, Texas’ three-term attorney general, campaigned as a conservative fighter and sought to portray Talarico as too progressive for the state.

The contest became the most expensive U.S. Senate race in American history, according to The Texas Tribune. Republican groups spent more than $280 million on advertising, while Talarico became one of the country’s most prolific political fundraisers.