Texas Senate: James Talarico Defeats Ken Paxton
The former middle school teacher becomes the state's first Democrat in statewide office in over three decades, winning key counties that went Republican in the previous cycle.
By Pedro Barnes ·
James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton on Tuesday to become the next United States senator from Texas, marking the first time a Democrat has won a statewide office in the state in more than 30 years.
Talarico secured victory in several counties that Republicans won in the 2024 election, including Tarrant, Collin, and Denton counties. This geographic shift provided the margin necessary to unseat Paxton, who had previously unseated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the primary.
The new senator is an eighth generation Texan and a former middle school teacher. He was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018, at which point he was the youngest member of the chamber. His 2018 win flipped a Trump-leaning district located around the Round Rock and Austin area.
In the state legislature, Talarico built a record of bipartisan collaboration. He passed dozens of bills with support from both parties, focusing on measures to lower drug costs, increase teacher pay, and cut property taxes. He also gained national attention for his opposition to Texas Senate Bill 10, which required the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms.
"If the goal of this bill is to create a whole new generation of Christians, I think it will do the opposite. I think this bill will create a whole new generation of atheists who think our religion is more about power than love," Talarico said on the House floor in 2025. He also opposed the state’s school voucher program, introducing an amendment to send the issue to voters, though the proposal was defeated.
During his campaign, Talarico advocated for changes to the education, healthcare, and immigration systems. He described the political divide not as a conflict between left and right, but as a struggle between the top and the bottom. In his Tuesday night victory speech, he referred to his campaign as a politics of love.
"We didn’t win this race by alienating our neighbors. Or by shaming our neighbors. Or by ridiculing our neighbors," Talarico told the crowd in Austin. "We embodied a new kind of politics. A politics rooted in deep love for our state, for our country and most importantly, for all our neighbors."
