Democrats Claim Historic Texas Senate and Governor Wins
James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa broke decades of Republican control in Texas, while Democrats also made gains in other states.
Illustration: AI-generated image
Democrats secured two historic victories in Texas on Tuesday, winning both a US Senate seat and the governorship for the first time in decades, according to results reported by HotNews.
James Talarico won the race for the US Senate, becoming the first Democrat from Texas to do so since 1988. Republican Ken Paxton publicly congratulated Talarico and described the electoral night as "difficult" for Republicans, according to NBC News and The Guardian.
In the governor's race, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. Hinojosa becomes the first Latina governor in Texas history and the first Democrat to hold the office since 1990.
Nationally, Democrats are projected to take majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, according to projections by CNN. The party also picked up Senate seats in South Carolina — where Donald Trump had won by 18 points in 2024 — and in Kansas, which had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932.
The Texas results mark a significant shift in a state long considered a Republican stronghold. The last Democratic senator from Texas was Lloyd Bentsen, who left office in 1993, and the last Democratic governor was Ann Richards, who served until 1995.
