James Talarico Flips Texas

What happened

Updated 1:07am ET

Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday, flipping a Texas U.S. Senate seat to Democrats.
Talarico, a 37-year-old state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988.
Talarico campaigned on lowering everyday costs and corruption allegations against Paxton, while Paxton argued that Talarico’s social views were too progressive for Texas.
The race drew more than $500 million in spending after Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Talarico will replace Cornyn, who congratulated him and offered to help with his transition to the Senate.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets framed the win as a historic Democratic breakthrough and a defeat for Trump’s choice of a scandal-plagued candidate. The New York Times highlighted Talarico’s victory despite Elon Musk’s spending, while HuffPost called the result a “colossal self-own by the GOP” and MS NOW recalled warnings about nominating Paxton.

How the right told it

Right-leaning outlets framed the win as a historic Republican setback, frequently highlighting Paxton’s scandals and Trump’s endorsement. Fox News said Trump’s “gamble” had backfired; the New York Post said Paxton’s controversies proved too much to overcome. The Blaze emphasized his weak performance in counties Trump had won.