# Texas Democrat Talarico defeats Paxton in Senate race

> James Talarico, a former teacher and seminarian, wins Texas Senate seat with 55 percent of the vote against Republican Ken Paxton.
- Title: Texas Democrat Talarico defeats Paxton in Senate race
- Summary: James Talarico, a former teacher and seminarian, wins Texas Senate seat with 55 percent of the vote against Republican Ken Paxton. Texas Democrat James…
- Keywords: james talarico, ken paxton, texas senate, 2026 election, democrats, republicans, ABC News
- Source: ABC News — https://abcnews.com/Politics/texas-democrat-james-talarico-speaks-after-win-paxton/story?id=137841748
- Author: ABC News
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: james talarico, ken paxton, texas senate, 2026 election, democrats, republicans, news
## Talarico wins Texas Senate seat
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. Talarico, a former teacher and seminarian, flipped the seat.
## The vote count
Talarico received fifty-five percent of the vote with five million three hundred ninety-seven thousand six hundred seventy votes. Paxton received forty-three percent with four million one hundred eighty-eight thousand four hundred fourteen votes.
## Talarico on the victory
On Good Morning America Wednesday, Talarico said the Democratic sweep goes beyond party lines. He told the nation that Texans demanded change.

> This was bigger than the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Texans from all corners of our state demanded change and now change is on the way.
## Key takeaway

Texas Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race, flipping the seat.