For the first time since 1988, Texas will have a Democrat represent them in the U.S. Senate. State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, defeated Republican nominee Ken Paxton in the midterm election Tuesday, according to Associated Press projections.
At the time of publication, Talarico won 57.4% of the vote while Paxton won 41.4%. As a senator, Talarico will serve a six-year term, during which he can propose and vote on federal bills in the 120th Congress. Each state has two senators, and Texas’ other Senate seat is currently held by Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Paxton has conceded the race.
“I will be praying for him, that he will do good for Texas and this nation,” Paxton said.
According to the Texas Politics Project, the Senate race helped create one of the most competitive Texas midterms, which has drawn national attention as a battle in a historically red state that President Donald Trump won by 56.3% of the popular vote in 2024.
Talarico will succeed longtime U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who Paxton trounced in a May primary runoff. Cornyn congratulated Talarico on social media.
“The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,” Cornyn wrote on X. “I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.”
For the past seven years, UT alumnus Talarico has served in the Texas House. His campaign centered on the divide between the working class and billionaires, according to his website.
“Those billionaires want to keep us from seeing all that we have in common,” Talarico wrote on his website. “They want to keep us from realizing there’s far more that unites us than divides us. Because once we do, we’ll come together — across party, across race, across gender, across religion — to fix what’s broken in our country and take back power for ourselves and our communities.”
The former teacher campaigned on public K-12 education, specifically fighting against vouchers and investing in future public school teachers, according to his website.
On higher education, he has not directly discussed specific initiatives or policies he plans to pursue as U.S. senator. Talarico has authored bills in the past that would have lowered higher education costs by establishing tuition exemptions and grant programs.
Talarico will take the seat in January 2027.
