James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat in decades

Image source, Getty Images

By Gary O'Donoghue, Chief North America correspondent in Austin, Texas and Brandon Drenon

• Published4 November 2026, 05:35 GMT

Updated 14 minutes ago

Democrat James Talarico has won a key Senate race in Texas, in what is likely the single biggest upset for Republicans in this year's elections.

Talarico's stunning victory over Republican Ken Paxton marks the first time a Democrat has won a US Senate seat in Texas since 1988 - and has helped solidify Democrats taking full control of the US Congress in a tidal wave of wins across the US.