Democrat James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas on Tuesday, defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the country's most hotly contested races. Talarico's victory marked the first time Texas sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
Where
Texas statewide
When
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
James TalaricoDemocrat candidate who won U.S. Senate race
Ken PaxtonRepublican Attorney General, U.S. Senate candidate who lost
Gina HinojosaDemocrat who won Texas gubernatorial race
Greg AbbottRepublican Governor who lost re-election
The facts
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in U.S. Senate race.12Stated by 2 sources
Texas last sent a Democrat to U.S. Senate in 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen was elected.12Stated by 2 sources
Democrat Gina Hinojosa won Texas gubernatorial race, defeating Gov. Greg Abbott.12Stated by 2 sources
Hinojosa became the first Latina elected governor in Texas.12Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Zach Kittrie Talarico won him over because of his relatability and concern about medical costs.12
Sylvia Lagos She had been working toward a Democratic takeover of Texas since age 16.12
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Gina Hinojosa won election as Texas governor and another Democrat won U.S. Senate from Texas for the first time since 1988 and 1990 respectively. Gov.-elect Hinojosa stated she will maintain a freeze on new data center authorizations ordered by outgoing Governor Greg Abbott.
$nearly nine million dollars for campaign contributions
Gina Hinojosa, Governor-elect; Talarico, U.S. Senate-elect (first name not given); Jorge Renaud, Voter and 5 more
Texas senator-elect James Talarico made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live's cold open, interrupting a sketch about President Donald Trump's midterm loss. Comedian Druski hosted the episode with musical guest The Strokes.
James Talarico, Texas senator-elect who appeared in the cold open; Druski, Host of Saturday Night Live; James Austin Johnson, Actor playing Trump in cold open sketch and 2 more
Democrats won a landslide victory in Tuesday's midterm election. Voters in 10 states rejected data center expansion in 40 of 41 local ballot measures. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, the first Democrat since 1990, and pledged a statewide moratorium on data center approvals.
$$4.4 billion for debt owed by CoreWeave
Gina Hinojosa, Governor-elect of Texas, Democrat; Michael Intrator, CEO of CoreWeave; Democrats, Party that won midterm election and 1 more
Matthew Shane Zachary was arrested and charged with murder in connection with a homicide at a residence in Gaines County. The Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers are leading the investigation with assistance from the Gaines County Sheriff's Office.
$$750,000 for bond
Matthew Shane Zachary, Suspect arrested and charged with murder; Gaines County Sheriff's Office, Law enforcement investigating homicide; Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers, Leading the investigation
Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said in a CNN interview that the state should pause work with data centers until protections for residents are in place. She promised to introduce laws to change the state's approach and said communities should have a role in deciding whether data centers are built there.
Democrats in the Texas Legislature filed legislation Monday as bill filing opened for the 2027 session. Proposals included Medicaid expansion, minimum wage increases, ending data center tax breaks, banning Flock cameras, repealing ICE partnership requirements for sheriffs, forbidding border wall construction at state parks, ending school vouchers, boosting per-pupil school funding, legalizing marijuana, and building high-speed rail from Dallas to San Antonio.
$up to $10 billion a year for medicaid expansion annual funding to Texas
State Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, filed Medicaid expansion bill; State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed companion Medicaid bill; Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, filed school nurse notification bill and 3 more
El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested 38-year-old Laron Lenard Watts and charged him with theft of property valued at $150,000 or more after he reportedly refused to return a shipment of fiber-optic cable, trailer, and container worth $155,000 total following a payment dispute.
$$155,000 for estimated value of property (shipping container, trailer chassis, fiber-optic cable)
Laron Lenard Watts, 38-year-old man arrested and charged with theft; El Paso County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement agency conducting investigation and making arrest