James Talarico, a former schoolteacher who has made his Christian faith central to his politics, won the US Senate race in Texas on Tuesday, defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1988.
The race was called for Talarico by Decision Desk, Texas Monthly reported. His victory also made him the first Democrat to win any statewide race in Texas since 1994, ending a losing streak that had dogged the party for decades.
From the classroom to the Capitol
Talarico, 37, was born James Dell Collins in Round Rock, Texas, on 17 May 1989, and took the surname of his stepfather, who adopted him.
After studying government at the University of Texas at Austin, he joined Teach For America and taught sixth-grade English in San Antonio, an experience he has said drove him into politics. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education policy at Harvard and a master’s in theological studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018, at 29 its youngest member, and is serving his fourth term. Among the measures he helped pass was a cap of 25 dollars a month on insulin costs, an issue he took up after his own diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.
He twice joined Democratic walkouts that denied the Texas House a quorum: in 2021, over election legislation, and in 2025, over redrawn congressional maps. Paxton, as attorney general, sued to have him removed from office; the case was dismissed in May this year.
Faith in politics
A member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Talarico describes himself as a progressive Christian and is an outspoken critic of Christian nationalism. His speech opposing a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms went viral and led to an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, raising his national profile.
In his closing campaign message, he argued that Texas, like the United States, rests on pluralism and tolerance, noting that the state’s name comes from a Caddo word for ‘friend’, according to Texas Monthly.
The campaign
Talarico launched his bid for the seat held by Republican John Cornyn in September 2025. In March he won the Democratic primary, beating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett by 52.4 per cent to 46.2 per cent.
Paxton defeated Cornyn in a Republican primary runoff in May, setting up a contest against an opponent who had sought to expel Talarico from the legislature. Paxton benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars donated on his behalf by Elon Musk, Reuters reported.
Talarico campaigned largely on the cost of living, Texas Monthly reported, as Trump’s falling approval ratings, high fuel prices, tariffs and the war with Iran weighed on Republicans.
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