Democrat James Talarico will be the next senator from Texas.
Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton and Libertarian Ted Brown to become the first Democrat to win a statewide election since 1994. The last Democrat to win a Senate race in Texas was Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
The Texas Senate race was considered one of the races to watch and could be pivotal to determining who holds control in the Senate.
Talarico and Paxton engaged in a contentious, expensive race where Republicans outspent Democrats. The battle for the Senate is the most expensive campaign in Texas history and one of the most expensive in U.S. history.
Talarico will replace Sen. John Cornyn who had held the seat since 2002. The outgoing senator congratulated Talarico on X.
What they’re saying:
“The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,” Cornyn said. “I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.”
Talarico pledges to work for all Texans
“This is a win the size of Texas,” Talarico said Tuesday night.
In his victory speech, Talarico echoed his campaign platform that the biggest divide is not between the left and the right. It’s between the top and the bottom.
“This win is not about the Democrats or the Republicans. It’s much bigger than that,” Talarcio said. “There is something broken in America. Our economic system is broken. Our political system is broken. Even our relationships with other people feel broken. That’s because the most powerful people in the world want it that way.”
Talarcio also tapped into his faith Tuesday night, comparing the senate race to the biblical story of David versus Goliath.
“In this race we went up against our own Goliaths,” Talarico said. “Tonight we defeated Goliath.”
The Source: Information in this article comes from previous Fox Local reporting. Results are provided by the Associated Press. Race calls are made by the Associated Press. Information on results comes from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and are preliminary until certified by that office.