James Talarico, a 37-year-old Democrat and former teacher, is running for a Texas Senate seat in what polls suggest could break Republicans' three-decade winning streak in statewide elections in the state. Talarico's campaign has drawn large crowds in traditionally conservative areas, including an estimated 4,000 supporters at a rally in Lubbock, a city that voted heavily for Donald Trump in recent elections. The race has become the most expensive Senate race in US history, with total spending exceeding half a billion dollars.
Republicans have expressed alarm at the possibility of losing Texas. Senator Ted Cruz stated on his podcast that "the Democrats are massively out-turning-out the Republicans," while Don Huffines, a Republican candidate for state chief financial officer, wrote on X that "when we lose Texas, we lose the USA." Trump campaigned in Lubbock alongside Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, suggesting the party is concerned about turnout even in conservative areas of the state.
Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based Republican campaign strategist, said a Democratic victory would "cause a lot of soul searching and a lot of psychological damage to the Republican Party in Texas and nationwide." He described the current political environment as a "perfect storm" favoring Democrats, with voters frustrated over high consumer costs that they largely attribute to Trump's tariff policies.
Texas Democrats have not won a statewide election in more than 30 years. If Talarico succeeds, it would be the first time a Democrat held a Texas Senate seat since 1988.