(AFP) – Democrat James Talarico, a former schoolteacher and Presbyterian seminarian who campaigned on a “politics of love,” on Tuesday won the US Senate race in Texas, flipping yet another seat for his party in a huge blow to Republicans. Talarico defeated the state’s attorney general Ken Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump who survived impeachment and years of scandal, NBC News and CBS News projected. He becomes the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas since 1994. The result was a major setback for Trump, who threw his weight behind Paxton and made the state a campaign priority.
In another political earthquake for the southern border state, Democrat Gina Hinojosa on Tuesday unseated incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Hinojosa, a 52-year-old attorney and state lawmaker, is part of a new generation of Democrats who are seeking to attract independents and voters disillusioned by Trump’s unpopular war in the Middle East and skyrocketing prices for gas and everyday goods. The landmark victories for Democrats could signal that Texas, the country’s second most populous state with 40 electoral votes, is becoming competitive in national elections, a shift that could reshape the electoral map for future races.
The result also marks a defeat for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who became one of Talarico’s most vocal opponents in the final weeks of the campaign. Musk, who has moved the headquarters of Tesla, SpaceX and X to Texas, has a growing business stake in the state. The world’s richest man spent more than $200 million supporting Paxton, according to federal filings. Talarico ran on a blend of Christian faith and economic populism, describing the contest in the final days of the campaign as a David versus Goliath fight and inviting Republicans dissatisfied with the party to join him. “We are uniting Texans from all backgrounds and beliefs onto one team to take on this broken, corrupt political system,” he told reporters after voting early in Austin last week.
Trump traveled to Texas four times in the month before the election to rally for Paxton, whom he endorsed over four-term incumbent senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary. At rallies, Trump told voters that a Democratic victory would mean open borders and economic damage, and repeatedly mocked Talarico. The race became the most expensive non-presidential contest in US history, with more than $560 million spent or reserved on political advertising, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
Talarico, a 37-year-old former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 and built a national following with speeches combining progressive politics, biblical teaching and criticism of wealthy elites. A two-hour appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2025 brought him an audience beyond traditional Democratic voters. He defeated congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary and sought to broaden his appeal by criticizing aspects of former president Joe Biden’s immigration policies. His positions on abortion and LGBTQ rights drew sharp criticism from religious conservatives.
Paxton, 63, survived impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 on allegations of corruption and abuse of power before being acquitted by the state Senate. He has denied wrongdoing and portrayed his legal troubles as attacks by the political establishment. During the campaign, Talarico drew support from voters who had left the Republican Party. “That party’s crazy. They left me, I didn’t leave them. The MAGA people are crazy,” Noel, a 75-year-old lifelong Republican, told AFP at a recent rally in Galveston, a Republican stronghold on the Texas coast. “He’s a young man, he’s an honest man, he’s got a vision, he’s smart, well-spoken, nice, kind, which is what we need,” he said.
Younger voters were also drawn to his campaign. Maya Guerra, the 21-year-old daughter of Latino migrants, told AFP in Houston that she saw Talarico as a source of hope. Traci Gibson, head of the Democratic Party in Harris County, which includes most of Houston, said Talarico’s message reached across party lines. “It’s not left, it’s not right. It’s top versus bottom,” she told AFP. “It is us versus corrupt billionaires. It is us with our health care. It is us with our gas prices.”
© 2024 AFP
