James Talarico Takes Texas Senate Seat to Help Democrats Win the Majority

James Talarico has done what no Democrat in Texas has been able to pull off in nearly 40 years — win a U.S. Senate race.

On Tuesday, the state representative, one-time English teacher and outspoken Christian took a decisive victory over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to capture an open seat as part of a midterm blue wave that swept the country.

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Multibillionaire Elon Musk infused nearly $200 million into Paxton’s campaign, which contributed to the race being one of the most expensive U.S. Senate seats in U.S. history. But Talarico drew support across the political spectrum in a state that has long been governed by Republicans backed by wealthy, conservative donors.

“We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas,” he said in a victory speech, reminding supporters of his early years as a teacher on the west side of San Antonio. “I always say teaching middle school is the best preparation for politics.”

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The race was pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate next year. In addition to Texas, Democrats had gained seven competitive seats by Wednesday morning, according to the Associated Press — enough to give them a majority. They also secured control of the House, which will quickly shift the focus in Congress to investigating President Donald Trump’s administration and putting limits on his authority.

National Education Association President Princess Moss thanked educators for their work.

“Our three million members, from teachers and paraprofessionals to bus drivers and cafeteria workers, led the way by knocking on doors, making phone calls and talking with their neighbors on behalf of students and their families,” she said in a statement. “The resounding winners in key races tonight were working families, public schools and democracy.”

In Texas, Paxton and Talarico crisscrossed the state to meet with voters, but the public never got to hear the candidates debate. While Talarico made several requests on social media, Paxton told reporters the campaigns could never agree on the terms. One political scientist said she doesn’t think a debate would have made much difference for Paxton.

“Debates have lost their importance in recent cycles because there are so many other ways for candidates to communicate with voters on their own terms,” said Melissa R. Michelson, a professor at Menlo College, near San Jose, California. “With the notable exception of Biden’s disastrous performance in 2024, it’s hard to come up with an example of a recent debate that made a difference.”

Throughout the campaign, Paxton frequently resorted to a common theme — painting Talarico as a radical with far-left views on gender. Trump, who endorsed Paxton in the GOP primary over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, traveled to Texas multiple times to stump for Paxton, but he often described him as an unlikable figure that they should vote for no matter what.

“[Paxton] may not dress right, he may not talk perfectly and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” he said during a midterm convention in Dallas.

Talarico consistently attacked Paxton’s ethics and past legal troubles, from a 2015 indictment on securities fraud charges, later dismissed, to his impeachment by the state House in 2023 on charges of bribery. The state Senate acquitted him.

When the attorney general mocked Talarico for being a vegan, the state representative quipped that as an eighth-generation Texas, he had “been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment.”

When Talarico took a nine-day break from the campaign trail due to the flu , Paxton was quick to elevate a baseless rumor that suggested his opponent wasn’t mentally fit to serve.

“Jimmy appears to be having a full-blown mental Tala-freak-out on the national stage,” Paxton posted on X after a story spread that Talarico had checked into an Ohio mental health facility. “My campaign has a simple request: proof of life.”

In a concession speech Tuesday night, he said he would be praying that Talarico “will do good for Texas and this nation.”

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Some of Talarico’s biggest supporters have been long-time Republicans who grew dissatisfied with how party leaders were running the state, from pushing Christianity into classrooms to taking over school districts.

“James Talarico showed up organized and behaved as a statesman,” said Mary Lowe, an education advocate and “party loyalist since 1979” who feels leaders have strayed from their principles of limited government and local control. “He focused on real issues and offered to work for unity.”