Why was James Talarico's Texas Senate win such a big result in the 2026 midterms?

James Talarico won a Texas Senate seat for the Democrats for the first time in almost 40 years, and at 37 he was not born the last time it happened. Texas was one of the races where Donald Trump had chosen the Republican candidate himself, making it one of the sharpest rejections of the night. Talarico called it a David and Goliath moment.

BBC correspondent Gary O'Donoghue reported from a Texas Democratic party where supporters said they had never seen Texas vote blue.
Gary O'Donoghue said Democrats there had not dared believe they would win the governor's race as well as the Senate seat.

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

▸More from this episode

Q1Why did Democrats win the 2026 US midterms, according to BBC correspondent Nomia Iqbal?Q2What did Donald Trump say about the 2026 midterm losses and his veto power?Q3Which Democrats should you watch for the 2028 presidential race after the 2026 midterms?Q4How did Abdul El-Sayed become the first Muslim US senator by winning Michigan?Q6What does the 2026 midterm result mean for the US war with Iran, according to Jeremy Bowen?Q7Why are Arab parties central to Israel's coalition talks after the 2026 election?Q8Why did Volodymyr Zelensky give Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga?

Transcribe your links. Paste a YouTube, Google Drive or podcast link and WhipScribe gives you the transcript. Transcribe a link →