James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat since 1988

Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in a Texas Senate race, becoming the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in the state since 1988. The upset helped Democrats take full control of Congress, the article reports. A former teacher and state legislator, Talarico made the rising cost of living a central campaign issue and told supporters at an Austin watch party, “We just took back Texas.” The race, with Elon Musk backing Paxton’s campaign, became the most expensive US Senate race in history.