At an election night gathering in Austin, Democrat James Talarico was declared the winner of the Texas Senate race, defeating Ken Paxton, who was endorsed by Donald Trump. Networks later projected Gina Hinojosa’s victory over Republican Greg Abbott, the three-term incumbent governor.
Several thousand people at Talarico’s headquarters celebrated the results. The crowd chanted “U-S-A” and then “Sí se puede” (“Yes, We Can”), a nod to Hispanic Texans and the state’s first Latina governor.
Late polling had given Talarico an advantage, but a close contest was expected in a state where Republicans had dominated politics for decades. Republicans had controlled Texas politics for the past 30 years.
