Democrat James Talarico has pulled off an election win that was unthinkable for years, flipping a Senate seat in red Texas, NBC News projects — an against-the-odds victory that dislodged Republicans’ three-decade grip on the state, overcame a $168 million ad assault by the world’s wealthiest man and rebuked the MAGA movement in a state President Donald Trump won handily three times.Talarico, a state lawmaker and seminarian, defeated Trump-aligned state Attorney General Ken Paxton after gaining national prominence on a message centered on wealth disparity and corruption.All the while, he integrated Christian themes and sought to transcend traditional politics in a state where his party hadn’t won in years.He campaigned on a “top versus bottom instead of left versus right” message, telling supporters that the top 1% of wealthy Americans wanted the rest of the country to fight with one another instead of keeping a check on those in power.
Follow live updates on the midterm electionsMeanwhile, on the Republican side, the “I told you so’s” were flying before voting even ended.Paxton has battled personal scandals for years, but Trump endorsed him over GOP Sen.John Cornyn in the primary anyway.
In the general election, a line of prominent Republicans publicly pledged support for Talarico rather than back the GOP nominee.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.Julio Cortez / APPaxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas state House in 2023 before the state Senate acquitted him in a vote for which Trump took credit, after pressuring the lawmakers.Paxton’s estranged wife, Angela Paxton, a state senator, publicly revealed that she sought a divorce on “biblical grounds.” She ended up cutting an ad urging her party to support the ticket without ever mentioning Paxton.
While Cornyn said he would back the Republican ticket, he never specifically endorsed Paxton, and he even held a joint fundraiser with former President George W.Bush for Republican...