A crowd of people staring at a screen celebrate, screaming and raising their hands or covering their mouths in awe

Talarico celebrates historic Senate win in Austin after 38-year drought

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Texas last sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen secured a fourth term in Washington. On Tuesday night, that 38-year drought finally ended as Austin state Rep. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the country’s most hotly contested Senate races, KUT News reported.

The victory capped a stunning night of Democratic gains across Texas. In the governor’s race, Gina Hinojosa unseated incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott to become the first Latina elected governor in state history. Hundreds of supporters flooded the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, gathering on the venue’s expansive terrace—large enough to serve as home to the Austin Symphony—to watch election results flicker across a giant screen against the glittering backdrop of the city’s skyline.

James Talarico supporters erupt in celebration at Austin watch party

Four Hundred Hours on the Campaign Trail

Before the returns came in, Stephanie Ferguson and her daughter were making their way into Talarico’s watch party, weaving through crowds that had spilled onto the Long Center Terrace. Ferguson had poured more than 400 hours into the campaign as a volunteer, a commitment that spanned months of work leading up to Election Day.

Ferguson said, “My kids are grown. I want a better America for them,” adding, “There was definitely a spirit of love your neighbor. … It was just beautiful, and I want one more taste of that before, hopefully, he goes off to Washington.”

FULL: James Talarico speech after Texas Senate victory | FOX 7 Austin

When the giant screen confirmed Talarico’s win over Paxton, Ferguson could barely contain her excitement as she soaked in the results and reflected on the weeks she spent campaigning. “It worked! It worked!” she screamed, visibly overcome with emotion. “Yes, we did it!”

The Republican Who Crossed Over

Talarico’s margin was built in part by disillusioned Republican voters who broke with their party for the first time. Zach Kittrie, who said he had never voted for a Democrat before casting his ballot for Talarico, watched the returns at the watch party and explained what changed his mind.

LIVE: James Talarico speaks at a rally in Austin

“He was concerned about medical costs,” Kittrie said, “because he, himself, has Type 1 diabetes. The first time he learned was at age 28, and he had to go buy insulin and it was $600. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, he’s speaking to me!'”

For Kittrie, the $600 cost of insulin was not an abstract talking point but a monthly reality, and Talarico’s willingness to speak candidly about his own diagnosis at age 28 created an immediate, personal connection. Eddie Sanchez and Reagan Fenton celebrated alongside the crowd as the results rolled in, part of the hundreds who hooted and smiled at each other while watching projections for both Talarico and Hinojosa appear on the screen. Bands performed in the background on the terrace, but most of the attention stayed fixed on the enormous display showing cable news coverage.

Midnight on the Terrace

Around midnight, as police officers shouted at attendees to clear the Long Center patio, Sylvia Lagos, 69, sat in a chair outside, taking in the night air. Wearing a straw cowboy hat and a Talarico campaign shirt, she reflected on a political journey that began 53 years earlier, when she was just 16 years old and first started working to turn Texas blue.

James Talarico celebrates historic win over Ken Paxton for Texas' U.S. Senate seat

“I still haven’t totally internalized it,” Lagos said. “It still doesn’t seem real, but I’m really happy about it, because it’s been a long time coming.”

She choked back tears when asked about Hinojosa’s victory in the governor’s race. “I just never thought I’d ever see a Latina as a governor,” she added. “I’m sorry. I just feel glad that I never gave up and that I lived long enough to see it.”

The celebration marked the end of an era for Texas politics: the state had sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1988 and elected its first Latina governor in the same night. What that shift means for the state’s delegation in Washington, and whether Democrats can hold these gains in the next cycle, remains the open question hanging over the empty terrace.

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