Texans — and, frankly, Americans — have been waiting for months to see if state Rep. James Talarico could flip a U.S. Senate seat blue for the first time in three decades.
And he did.
As results rolled in late Tuesday evening, Talarico held the lead statewide, 58.9 percent to 39.5 percent. In Harris County, Talarico had a 66.36 percent lead.
The seat was previously held for 24 years by John Cornyn, but Ken Paxton ousted him in the GOP primary. Paxton, 63, currently serves as the Texas attorney general and has been criticized by many, including some in his own party, for being corrupt, dishonest, an adulterer and a generally unlikeable person.
Talarico, 37, is the grandson of a Baptist preacher. He earned a master of arts in theological divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary last year and is continuing his education to pursue a master of divinity.
He has, however, made some “provocative” comments, including one from the House floor in 2021 in which he suggested that God is non-binary. He later said the remark was based on the common theological belief that God is spirit and transcends human categories, including gender.
Nonetheless, Talarico’s progressive approach to politics has turned off some who consider him to be too “woke” or radical. It also earned him the moniker “Talafreako,” which he and his supporters have embraced.
Paxton was charged more than a decade ago with securities fraud and failing to register as an investment adviser, but he’s never been convicted of a crime.
He was impeached for corruption and abuse of office by members of the Republican-led Texas House in 2023, although he was later acquitted by the Senate. His wife, a state senator, is divorcing him on “biblical grounds,” a reference to adultery, but has encouraged her supporters to vote for the GOP, “even when you’re mad at them.”
Talarico’s critics say they aren’t sure what he believes since he appears to be placating people of all faiths as well as the transgender community. Those same critics say that Paxton has made some bad personal choices but at least they know where he stands on conservative matters like mandating the Ten Commandments in public schools, abortion and gender identity.
The social issues and mudslinging have turned the race away from traditional campaign matters like taxes, affordability and healthcare, and the race has drawn national attention. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton, while several famous musicians and actors have backed Talarico.
There was concern among Republicans during early voting that GOP voters would stay home on Election Day or sit out the U.S. Senate race rather than vote for Paxton. Officials from both parties encouraged residents to vote the whole ballot — 106 races for most Harris County residents — and vote along party lines.
Talarico joined several other Democrats who won statewide races, including Gina Hinojosa for governor, Vikki Goodwin for lieutenant governor, Nathan Johnson for attorney general and Sarah Eckhart for comptroller.
