'We just took back Texas': James Talarico beats Trump pick Ken Paxton for the first Democratic Texas Senate win since 1988

From the Newshound archive · first published 4 November 2026.

Former schoolteacher James Talarico, 37, defeated scandal-plagued Ken Paxton to become Texas's first Democratic senator since 1993, as Democrats swept both the state's Senate and governor's races in a stunning midterm repudiation of Trump's second term. Gina Hinojosa simultaneously ousted three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, the first Democrat to hold the governorship in decades. The twin victories helped power Democrats to retake full control of both the House and Senate nationally.

Talarico will replace John Cornyn, 74, who lost his own primary to Paxton, making Talarico the Senate's youngest member.

The pair celebrated by heading to Whataburger at midnight, with Talarico posting: 'First stop post-win: Whataburger.'