Democrats are used to heartbreak in Texas - could Talarico turn the tide?

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Democrats hope James Talarico, 37, could end a decades-long winning streak for Republicans in Texas Senate racesByNorth America correspondentThe race for a US Senate seat in Texas may prove crucial in determining which party controls Congress next year – a significant prize in its own right - but for both parties it represents so much more than that.For the Democrats, their losing streak in statewide elections now stretches back more than three decades. In the second most populous state in America, liberals have been in the wilderness for a generation.But polls suggest their candidate, 37-year-old James Talarico, may be on the verge of breaking through and turning a Texas Senate seat blue for the first time since 1988. That would be a dream scenario for Democrats - and a potential nightmare for Republicans."If the Democrats do pull it off, I think it's going to cause a lot of soul searching and a lot of psychological damage to the Republican Party in Texas and nationwide," said Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based Republican campaign strategist.These dramatic stakes help explain how this Senate race has rocketed to become the most expensive in...