Paxton supporters prayed for a miracle as Texas elects James Talarico
DALLAS, Texas — Supporters of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton prayed for a miracle Tuesday night as an Election Day showdown with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico appeared to signal a new era for Texas politics.
Talarico, a 37-year-old Presbyterian seminary grad who has touted himself as a progressive Christian champion, appears to have delivered Democrats their first U.S. Senate seat in Texas since 1988.
Paxton, 63, arrived late to an election night watch party Tuesday at the Westin Galleria, where supporters gathered to rally behind their candidate one final time before the official results.
As the mood shifted from celebration to concern, several Paxton supporters formed a prayer circle while results increasingly pointed to a Talarico victory.
A short time later, Paxton conceded the race to Talarico after what he called a “difficult” night for the GOP. He pledged to pray for Talarico to “do good for Texas and this nation.”
"I want to thank all my friends in this room. I want to thank all my friends across this state, who have really made it special to be in this role representing Texas as your attorney general," Paxton said. "I am so grateful for the support I've had, the friendships I've developed. This is a great state. It has the greatest people. I am so blessed to be a part of that and have the opportunity to try to do the best I could for Texas."
"I want to finish by saying that I love Texas; I will always love Texas," he continued. "We will fight for this place and fight for our country."
Longtime Paxton friend and supporter Gary Hughes said Paxton is a “great Christian gentleman” and believes Talarico will be a “disaster for Texas.”
“He would not be able to get anything done working with the president, and it will be a shame,” Hughes stated.
In a strong showing for Democrats across Texas, Talarico outperformed Kamala Harris’ 2024 results in every region of the state.
He also beat Paxton in the key suburban counties of Collin and Denton, which have both favored President Donald Trump in the last three presidential elections. Trump endorsed Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a contentious GOP runoff.
Talarico, who has drawn controversy for his public statements calling God “non-binary” and, at one point, promoting the idea of six gender identities, will now represent Texas in the U.S. Senate alongside Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Talarico’s victory wasn’t the only upset in Texas. Trump-endorsed Gov. Greg Abbott is projected to lose re-election to a fourth term to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a 52-year-old state legislator.
Hinojosa will become the state’s first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor since Ann Richards in the 1990s.
"There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically we're not going to be able to win this election," Abbott told his supporters. "I let Gina know that I would assist her and her team in a period of transition."
"But I also want everybody to know that the thing that I'm most proud about is that you all helped me to be your governor for 12 years," Abbott added. "Thank you very much."
