# Trump’s gamble on Ken Paxton backfires as Democrat pulls off historic Texas Senate upset

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/trumps-gamble-on-ken-paxton-backfires-as-democrat-pulls-off-historic-texas-senate-upset/
- Published: 2026-11-04T03:14:31+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T06:37:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-gamble-ken-paxton-backfires-democrat-pulls-off-historic-texas-senate-upset
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- James Talarico wins Texas’s Senate race for the Democrats.
- Ken Paxton’s defeat undermines Trump’s high-profile endorsement.
- Democrats claim their first Texas Senate seat in nearly 40 years.

## Summary

James Talarico, a Democratic Texas state representative, has won the US Senate race, defeating Republican Ken Paxton in an upset that gives Democrats their first Texas Senate seat in nearly four decades. The result is a setback for President Donald Trump, who backed Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn, despite concerns among Republicans that Cornyn would be a stronger candidate in a difficult midterm cycle.

Trump and national Republicans spent heavily to help Paxton, while Talarico presented himself as a moderate focused on representing Texans. The bitter campaign featured attacks over Paxton’s record and allegations of corruption, for which he was impeached by the Texas House and later acquitted by the state Senate, as well as Talarico’s views on transgender rights and religion. Cornyn congratulated Talarico and offered to help with his transition.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.