Democrat James Talarico won the Texas Senate seat over Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, handing the progressive state legislator a victory in one of the most expensive contests of the 2026 midterm season.
NBC News called [1] the race shortly before 9:00 p.m. local time. At that point, Talarico held nearly 60% of the vote with about 64% counted, while Paxton stood at 39%.
BREAKING: Democrat James Talarico wins U.S. Senate race in Texas, NBC News projects. https://t.co/EbwSxF8pnZ https://t.co/WIb5Y05Gf2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 4, 2026 [2]
The result came after President Donald Trump made a late appeal for Texans to support Paxton. Trump issued his message in the hours leading up to the closing of the polls.
Trump described Paxton as the “Highly Respected Attorney General of Texas” and said he has “always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT.”
The president’s endorsement placed his political weight behind the Republican as voting neared its conclusion. Trump emphasized Paxton’s loyalty, his record in Texas, and his commitment to the president’s MAGA agenda.
“I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a WINNER! Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” the president wrote on X.
Trump also turned his attention toward Talarico, referring to the Democrat as “James TalaFREAKO.” The president further called him a “Radical Left Dumocrat” and described him as “Reckless, Radical, and Dangerous.”
In making his case for Paxton, Trump argued that the Republican would “tirelessly fight” for several priorities associated with the MAGA movement. Those priorities included advancing American energy dominance and promoting school choice.
Trump also said Paxton would work to keep the border secure and protect the Second Amendment. The endorsement offered voters a direct contrast between the Republican attorney general and the progressive Democrat seeking the seat.
The presidential push, however, was not enough to overcome Talarico’s advantage as the count unfolded. NBC News called the contest with more than one third of the vote still uncounted, based on the figures reported at the time.
Money poured into the Texas race at an extraordinary level. More than half a billion dollars was spent on the contest alone, making it the most expensive competition of the 2026 midterm season.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk emerged as a major financial supporter of the Republican effort. Musk contributed more than $150 million to political action committees supporting Paxton.
Talarico, meanwhile, held a substantial advantage in donations from individual donors. He received $145 million from those donors, compared with $22 million for Paxton, according to the figures provided for the race.
The spending numbers revealed two different financial engines behind the campaigns. Paxton benefited from Musk’s enormous contributions to supporting political action committees, while Talarico drew far more money from individual donors.
Even with Trump’s endorsement and Musk’s political spending, Paxton trailed by roughly 21 percentage points when NBC News called the race. Talarico’s nearly 60% share gave the Democrat a commanding lead at that stage of the count.
The result delivered the Texas Senate seat to a progressive Democrat after a contest dominated by massive spending and sharp political attacks. It also marked a defeat for the candidate Trump had praised as a loyal ally and a “true MAGA Warrior.”