James Talarico wins Texas Senate election — TIME

In Texas, U.S., state legislator James Talarico defeated state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate election. According to TIME, the Associated Press called the result late Tuesday evening. Talarico became the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas since 1994, as well as the first elected Democratic senator from the state since 1988.

Early voting

Before Election Day, most polls showed Talarico leading Paxton. More than 7.7 million votes were cast in the state before the voting day. TIME notes that the number of early votes matched the level of the 2024 presidential election and significantly exceeded the 5.1 million votes cast early in 2022.

Talarico, who is also studying at a seminary, built his campaign on a combination of progressive messages and religious rhetoric. His speeches and interviews went viral on social media, while the candidate gained nationwide recognition and became one of the most successful fundraisers of the election cycle.

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Paxton's spending and support

Both candidates went through expensive intraparty campaigns before the general election. Advertising spending in the race approached three-quarters of a billion dollars. Paxton had roughly a twofold advantage in outside advertising spending compared with Talarico.

According to TIME, the bulk of Paxton's support was provided by Elon Musk, whom the publication describes as a Trump ally and Texas resident: he directed $224 million in support of the candidate. Trump endorsed Paxton after the primary runoff in May, giving him preference over incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn.

Claims regarding the campaign

TIME writes that Paxton was the subject of criminal investigations and narrowly avoided conviction in impeachment proceedings considered by Republicans in Austin. In the publication's assessment, his tenure as attorney general became a campaign issue amid accusations of nepotism related to the accumulation of wealth while holding public office. Paxton also declined to debate Talarico, although his opponent had proposed holding debates moderated by Fox News.