Democrat James Talarico won Texas's US Senate race, defeating Republican Ken Paxton despite more than $200 million in opposition spending. Talarico, a former schoolteacher, is the first Democrat to win a statewide Senate seat in Texas since 1988.
Paxton's campaign received $158 million from Elon Musk's super PAC, according to the report. Talarico made rising cost of living a central campaign theme and made religious appeals familiar to his base. Two members of the Bush family backed him during the race, according to the report.
Paxton faced multiple political scandals. He was impeached by his own party in 2023 on corruption accusations and later acquitted by the state Senate. He was indicted on federal fraud charges that were later dismissed.
The race became the most expensive US Senate race in history, with spending exceeding $500 million. Trump campaigned for Paxton multiple times and called Paxton a "RINO" after the loss.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa also won the Texas governorship, marking the first Latina governor in the state and the first Democratic governor since the 1990s. The report notes Hispanic voters shifted away from Trump, citing his immigration crackdown as a reason. Surveys showed a majority of Hispanic voters in Texas disapproved of Trump by late summer.