Texas – “The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday night after Democrat James Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state’s closely watched Senate election.
Cornyn, who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002, also said he looked forward to meeting Talarico and offering assistance with his transition as he prepares to take office and represent the state in Washington.
The congratulatory message followed a major upset in the November 3 election, with Talarico defeating Paxton and securing a Democratic victory in a state that Republicans have dominated in statewide elections for decades. The Associated Press called the race for Talarico Tuesday night.
Talarico’s victory marks the first time a Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen was reelected. It also represents the party’s first statewide election victory in Texas since 1994, ending a decades-long Republican hold on statewide offices.
The contest attracted national attention because Texas had become one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the country. Paxton entered the general election after defeating Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff earlier this year, following a bitter intraparty contest that drew significant attention from President Donald Trump and national Republican leaders.
Trump endorsed Paxton during the primary, helping him secure the Republican nomination despite concerns among some GOP figures that his political and legal controversies could make the Senate seat more difficult to defend. Cornyn had represented Texas in the Senate for more than two decades but was unable to secure another Republican nomination.
According to The Texas Tribune, Republicans invested heavily in advertising during the general election, with more than $280 million spent on advertising, including over $200 million from outside groups supporting Paxton. The race became one of the most expensive Senate contests in American history.
Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative from Austin and former public school teacher, campaigned on issues including affordability, public education, health care and corruption. His message focused heavily on the economic pressures facing working families and the influence of wealthy donors and special interests in politics.
Paxton, who has served as Texas attorney general since 2015, focused his campaign on border security, immigration enforcement, election integrity and continuing Trump’s agenda. His political career had also been marked by controversies, including his 2023 impeachment by the Texas House on allegations involving bribery, abuse of public trust and obstruction of justice. The Texas Senate acquitted him of the charges.
CBS News reported that Talarico’s victory gives Democrats a major breakthrough in a state where they had been seeking a competitive statewide victory for years. The outcome also carries national implications because control of the Senate was at stake in the 2026 elections.
Cornyn’s message marked a public acknowledgment of the election result and an offer to assist the incoming senator, despite the political divisions within the Texas Republican Party during the primary campaign. Talarico is expected to take office in January 2027, when the new Senate term begins. Until then, Cornyn will continue serving out the remainder of his current term.
