Talarico wins Texas Senate race, ending decades of Republican dominance

James Talarico has won the United States Senate race in Texas, the first time a Democrat has won state office since 1994.Tuesday’s victory marks a seismic shift in Texas, which has become a standard-bearer for the Republican Party’s staunch conservative policies.The win comes after a primary intervention by President Donald Trump, which saw him endorse scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Republican Senate candidate John Cornyn.But Paxton failed to generate enthusiasm, even among his party, despite record-breaking spending, topping more than half a billion dollars.The largest share came from billionaire donor Elon Musk, who spent at least $212m supporting Paxton.Musk’s SpaceX company is based in Texas. He has also spent heavily across the country, with Democrats expected to investigate Musk’s role as head of the federal cost-cutting panel DOGE if they take control of Congress.“It’s historic,” said Taylor Bell, a 27-year-old law student, who attended an election watch party in Houston.“Hopefully, we see money coming back to the people of Texas, and not more of the same we’ve seen – well, my whole life at this point.”US Congressman Christian Menefee, a Democrat who r...