Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race, the Associated Press called late Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The AP called the race at approximately 10:04 p.m., with Talarico leading with 59.4% of the vote, Houston Public Media reported.
Talarico is the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1994 and the first Democrat elected to a Texas U.S. Senate seat since 1988, according to KCRA, citing AP.
Results remain unofficial until certified by the Texas Secretary of State.
Tarrant County's sharp swing
The shift in Tarrant County was among the most dramatic in the state.
With 80% of the expected vote counted, the county moved from R+5.1 in the 2024 presidential race to D+20.2 in the Senate contest, according to CryptoTicker, citing NBC News and AP data.
Those figures compare a partial count with a full presidential count, so the final margin could still change.
Tarrant County voters turned out in force during early voting. More than 50,409 voters cast ballots on the first day of early voting alone, 73% more than the first day of the 2022 midterm, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Some sites reported waits of 45 minutes or more. Both Paxton and Talarico rallied in Fort Worth that day, according to the Star-Telegram.
Local GOP splits over Paxton
Paxton faced open resistance from prominent Tarrant County Republicans. Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, long one of the county's most popular officeholders, told KTVT/Channel 11 she would not vote for Paxton and planned to skip that line on the ballot, the Star-Telegram reported.
Price had earlier texted a Star-Telegram reporter that Paxton is "corrupt and immoral," according to the same report.
Fort Worth state Rep. Charlie Geren shared a post on X from Talarico's campaign, the Star-Telegram reported. Former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley went further and endorsed Talarico outright.
What's at stake nationally
The race could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Republicans held a 53-47 advantage going into the election. Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority, according to Fox 4.
More than $570 million in political advertising made this the most expensive Senate race in American history, according to the Dallas Morning News, citing ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
Record turnout statewide
More than 7.7 million Texans voted early, in person or by mail, through the state's 12-day early voting period, the Texas Tribune reported.
That amounted to 40.5% of registered voters, the highest midterm early-turnout rate on record in modern-day Texas. The state entered the election with more than 19 million registered voters, a new record, according to the Texas Secretary of State.
The candidates
Paxton, the three-term state attorney general, defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a May 2026 Republican primary runoff after receiving an endorsement from Trump.
He has served as attorney general since 2015. The Republican-led Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023 over allegations including bribery and misuse of office, but the Texas Senate acquitted him on all 16 articles, Houston Public Media reported.
Talarico, a four-term state representative from Austin, is a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian.
He led Paxton by a wide margin in fundraising for most of the year, though conservative super PACs offset that advantage with heavy spending in the campaign's final months, Houston Public Media reported.
Talarico built his early lead on election night with strong showings in the North Texas suburbs, the Texas Tribune reported. Official results from the Texas Secretary of State will continue to be updated as counties report.
