Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa win the Texas Senate and governor races, ending the party's decades-long losing streak
James Talarico's post on X celebrating victory, as his 12-point win over Ken Paxton ended a 38-year Republican stranglehold on the Texas Senate seat despite Elon Musk's $47 million personal backing of Paxton.Ken Paxton addresses supporters after his defeat, thanking his family and Texans — a loss that also stung Donald Trump, who had personally endorsed Paxton over the more electable John Cornyn.
Democrats swept Texas in a historic midterm blue wave, capturing the Senate seat, governor's mansion and attorney general's office in a single night — a trifecta the party had not managed in decades. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term incumbent Greg Abbott by seven points, making her the first Latina to govern the country's second most populous state. James Talarico beat Trump-backed Ken Paxton by 12 points, snapping a 38-year Democratic drought in Texas Senate races.
Elon Musk's $47m backing of Paxton — on top of an estimated $446m spent backing Republicans nationwide — proved insufficient to keep the Senate seat out of Democratic hands, which last held it in 1988.
Trump blamed Abbott on Truth Social, writing: 'If Greg Abbott hadn't become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn't have lost.'
Democrat Nathan Johnson also flipped the Texas attorney general's office, the first Democrat to hold the post in 32 years, defeating Mayes Middleton with 53.4% of the vote.
