Democrat James Talarico wins Texas Senate seat, breaking 38‑year Republican streak
James Talarico has secured the U.S. Senate seat from Texas by more than 1.2 million votes, becoming the first Democrat to win the office since 1988. The victory follows a record‑setting early‑voting surge nationwide, with over 50.5 million Americans casting ballots early, about five million more than in the 2022 midterms. In Texas alone, more than seven million voters participated early, including 862,700 in Harris County. Polls had shown Democrats leading in several Republican strongholds, and the win flips a Senate seat while Republicans retain a 53‑47 majority in the chamber.
Key facts
- Early voting nationwide reached a record 7.7 million early voters, according to NBC News.
- James Talarico received 5,444,982 total votes, including 4,397,474 early votes.
- Ken Paxton received 4,249,373 total votes, including 3,232,667 early votes.
- Democratic victories were driven by a shift among Hispanic voters in border counties.
- Gina Hinojosa became Texas’s first Latina governor, unseating incumbent Greg Abbott.
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Why it matters
The result reshapes Senate balance and ends decades of GOP dominance in Texas.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, Tagesschau, The Times of India, The Jerusalem Post and El País English