How big was James Talarico's Texas Senate win for Democrats in the 2026 midterms?

The BBC called Texas perhaps the biggest upset of the night. James Talarico became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988, and US media said his win helped Democrats secure the Senate. Fellow Democrat Gina Hinojosa was set to become governor, unseating Greg Abbott, and Gary O'Donoghue reported that Texas had not had a Democratic governor since Ann Richards in the early 1990s.

• O'Donoghue said supporters in Austin expected a close Senate race but few believed Abbott, a fundraising machine, could be beaten.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-04). Read the whole episode summary →

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