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Cornyn meets with Sen-elect Talarico, describes him as ‘basically … a good person’
Outgoing Republican Senator John Cornyn met Democratic senator-elect James Talarico in Washington on Monday, after an earlier meeting in Texas, and described him as “basically … a good person”. Their public exchange of praise and Talarico’s call for Republicans and Democrats to work together signal a cordial start as he prepares to represent Texas in the Senate.
Talarico defeated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 2026 Senate election, winning about 55 per cent of the vote to Paxton’s 43 per cent, according to unofficial results. He is the first Democrat in more than three decades to win a Texas Senate race; Cornyn, a senator since 2002, lost this year’s Republican primary runoff to Paxton.
In short
- Cornyn met Talarico in Washington after an earlier meeting in Texas.
- Cornyn called the senator-elect “basically … a good person”.
- Talarico won about 55 per cent of the vote against Paxton.
Explained simply
Texas has long been a Republican stronghold in elections for the US Senate, where each state elects two senators to represent it in Congress. The state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, was the Republican candidate in the 2026 Senate election.
John Cornyn has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002. He lost the Republican primary runoff to Paxton, while Democrat James Talarico won the Senate election, becoming the first Democrat in more than 30 years to win a Texas Senate race.
The Senate helps make federal laws and reviews government appointments. Talarico is due to take up the role as Cornyn leaves, at a time when both have spoken about cooperation across party lines.