Democrats sweep Texas races as Talarico and Hinojosa claim top offices
First Democratic statewide wins in Texas since 1994 end decades of Republican control.
By Salma Farouk ·
Democratic candidates won both major statewide races in Texas on Tuesday, marking the first time in more than 30 years that a Democrat has carried a statewide ticket in the state. Rep. James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton for the open U.S. Senate seat, while Rep. Gina Hinojosa claimed victory over Gov. Greg Abbott for the governorship. These results broke a long standing trend of Republican dominance in Texas elections.
The shift in political control became evident in the early hours of election night. By 9:15 p.m., CNN projected that Democrats would take control of the U.S. House. At that time, more than 50% of ballots had been counted in most major Texas races, and Democrats held solid leads in every one of them. The rapidity of the returns prompted CNN’s Jake Tapper to use the term “bluenami” to describe the wave of Democratic victories unfolding across the country, including in North Carolina.
The outcome in Texas represented a stark reversal of the political landscape. Prior to Tuesday, the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Texas was in 1994. The night also produced another notable change as Sen. Nathan Johnson defeated Mayes Middleton for the position of Attorney General. President Donald Trump acknowledged the results on his Truth Social account, stating that he was not on the ballot and that his team would have won in a landslide if he had been.
James Talarico, a former public school teacher, took the Senate seat previously held by John Cornyn. Cornyn had lost the Republican primary runoff to Paxton earlier this year. Talarico campaigned on affordability and government accountability, citing Paxton’s record of legal and political controversies. Paxton, who has served as attorney general since 2015, ran with the backing of President Trump and argued that Talarico was too liberal for Texas voters. The race attracted national attention and historic campaign spending, including large contributions from Elon Musk who supported the Republican candidates.
Gina Hinojosa’s victory makes her the first Latina governor of Texas. She is also the first Democrat to occupy the Governor’s Mansion since Ann Richards left office in 1995. Before entering politics in 2017, Hinojosa worked as a civil rights and labor lawyer. She also served on the Austin school board, including a period as its president. Abbott outspent Hinojosa 10 to 1 during the campaign, making her win a significant upset in terms of financial resources.
The candidates addressed their supporters in the hours after the polls closed. Ken Paxton spoke to a crowd at the Westin Galleria in Dallas around 10:30 p.m. He began by congratulating his opponent, James Talarico, effectively ending his current run for statewide office. Paxton told the audience that he would be praying for Talarico to do good for Texas and the nation.
The results on Tuesday night closed a chapter in Texas politics that had persisted since the mid-1990s. The Democratic victories in the Senate and governor’s race set the stage for a new era of leadership in the state. The outcomes reflect the shifting demographics and voting patterns that observers had noted since the 2018 election when Beto O’Rourke came close to defeating Ted Cruz. The night confirmed the momentum that had been building in the state for several years.
