Texas Election: Democrats Break 30-Year Streak

James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas on Tuesday, November 3. In the same election, Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the governorship against incumbent Greg Abbott, who was running for a fourth term. This marks the first time a Democrat has won a statewide office in the state in more than 30 years.

Voters in Bexar County gave both Democratic candidates strong majorities. Talarico received more than 64% of the vote in his race against Paxton. Hinojosa also secured more than 64% of the vote in her contest against Abbott. The results in the county reflect the broader shift in support for Democratic candidates across the state.

The election results ended a long period of Republican dominance in Texas. The state had not elected a Democrat to statewide office since the 1990s. Abbott had been serving as governor for three terms before losing to Hinojosa. Paxton had been the state's attorney general for several years before losing his bid for the Senate.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of these results. The election also included races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as positions in the U.S. House. Maps from the election show how Bexar County and surrounding areas voted compared to the 2024 Senate race between Ted Cruz and Collin Allred.

Democrats also won control of both chambers of Congress in this election. They flipped states that had voted Republican for decades, including states that Donald Trump won by double digits in the 2024 presidential election. The results from Tuesday night represent a major change in the political balance of the state and the nation.