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Texas turns blue as James Talarico humiliates scandal-plagued Ken Paxton in historic Senate upset

Texas turns blue as James Talarico humiliates scandal-plagued Ken Paxton in historic Senate upset

James Talarico pulled off a political earthquake in Texas, defeating scandal-plagued Republican Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the state's Senate delegation in 38 years.

The extraordinary victory shatters a Republican stranglehold on the Lone Star State, which has not elected a Democrat to any statewide office since 1994. It dealt a devastating blow to President Donald Trump and helped secure a Democratic Senate majority.  

Republican Governor Greg Abbott was also ousted by Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in a stunning upset as part of the 'blue tsunami' taking shape across the United States on a devastating night for Trump.

At Talarico's election night headquarters at downtown Austin's the mood was electric. 

'In this race we went up against our own Goliaths,' Talarico said in his victory speech. 'The richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world, and the entire DC establishment. You were my slingshot. The people of Texas were my slingshot. And tonight, we defeated Goliath.' 

They were references to not only the president but Elon Musk, a resident of Texas who lobbed vitriol at the Democrat, called him 'pure evil' and poured over $150 million into the race to try to stop him. 

Talarico was leading Paxton by an extraordinary margin of 12 points, with 84 percent of vote counted.  

Talarico dedicated his victory to every underdog who has been 'counted out' and said his win wasn't about party.

James Talarico pulled off a political earthquake in Texas, defeating scandal-plagued Republican Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the state's Senate delegation in 38 years 

Supporters react to the race being called for Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico at an election watch party in downtown Austin

'The real fight in this country is not left versus right, it is top versus bottom,' he said.

Talarico's crowd erupted when his victory was called at 10 p.m. - but grew even louder when CNN called the victory for Hinojosa's campaign for governor. 

Both Democrats had campaigned together and held a joint rally Monday night at a barbecue joint in Austin.

Supporters also busted out a 'U-S-A' chant. Outside the venue, people could be heard honking their car horns in celebration.

Talarico's race was the most expensive Senate race in US history. 

And it didn't have to be. 

Trump meddled in the race in May, telling MAGA voters to choose Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn as they faced off in a Republican primary runoff, which was just one week away. 

The President put his thumb on the scale because Cornyn had not always been loyal and had previously criticized Trump, at one point saying that 'time has passed him by.'

With Trump's endorsement, Paxton easily won.

Senate Republicans saw this coming. 

Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned that 'we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee.'

Before the race was officially called, Cornyn congratulated Talarico on social media.

'The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,' Cornyn posted to X. 'I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.'

At that point in the night, Talarico was 18 points ahead of Paxton.  

On the Democratic side, voters chose the candidate who they thought had more bipartisan appeal, Talarico, over firebrand US Representative Jasmine Crockett, who entered the Senate race in December after the GOP-led legislature gerrymandered her House district.

Mark Talarico (left), the stepfather of Senator-elect James Talarico and his mother Tamara Talarico (right) react as the Democrat speaks at his election night event in Austin late Tuesday night 

Supporters of Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico cheer in front of the Long Center in Austin Tuesday night  

A supporter of Texas Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico reacts to Texas turning blue during a watch party at the Long Center in downtown Austin 

Supporters of Texas Senate Democratic hopeful James Talarico cheer as Democrats won big Tuesday night in the midterm election 

President Donald Trump (left) stands alongside Texas Republican Senate hopeful, Attorney General Ken Paxton (right), during a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, last Tuesday 

The race had the makings to be a repeat of the 2017 Senate special election in Alabama, where a deeply flawed Republican candidate, Roy Moore, lost to a Democrat, former Senator Doug Jones, in a very red state.

But Democrats also worried it could be an echo of the heartbreak they experienced in 2018 when Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke came so close – 2.6 percent away – from unseating Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz. 

Unlike Moore in Alabama, who was facing accusations of trying to date teenage girls when he was in his 30s which he denied, Paxton's personal scandals involved two alleged affairs and a high-profile 'Biblical' divorce announcement from his wife, Texas state Senator Angela Paxton. 

Angela Paxton later backed the 'Republican ticket,' but didn't use her estranged husband's name. 

Paxton's campaign was also hobbled by a bevy of corruption charges, including a 2023 impeachment courtesy of members of his own party. Paxton was acquitted by the Texas state Senate. 

Talarico blasted Paxton's record in a series of final ads. 

'Ken Paxton says I don't have his experience.  And he's right,' the 37-year-old state representative said. 'I've never been indicted for fraud. I've never been reported to the FBI for bribery. I've never been impeached by my own party. And I've never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile.'

Paxton and Republicans used some of Talarico's questionable statements – including that God is 'non-binary' – and support for trans rights to weigh him down with a wedge issue that was still motivating Texas voters. 

Elon Musk branded Talarico a 'creep' and poured more than $150 million into trying to defeat him

President Donald Trump nicknamed Democrat James Talarico 'Talafreako,' which his campaign embraced and started using to sell T-shirts 

Supporters at a rally headlined by President Donald Trump in for GOP Senate hopeful Ken Paxton sported the latest in MAGA fashion  

President Donald Trump pauses his speech in Lubbock, Texas, to play a video critical of Democratic Senate nominee, state Representative James Talarico 

Talarico, a seminary student, admitted the non-binary quip was him trying to be 'provocative.'  

Paxton also labeled Talarico 'low T' – for low testosterone – and pushed that he was a 'vegan,' even though the Democrat eats meat. Talarico had previously talked about eating less meat to be environmentally conscious. 

Trump traveled to Texas four times during the final campaign stretch. 

During his rallies, the President rehashed a disproven conspiracy theory that Talarico had left the campaign trail to seek mental health treatment in Ohio. 

Trump said he suspected something different had happened. 

'Now, I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can't stand it,' Trump claimed at his rally in Corpus Christi. 

At his final appearance in Texas, Trump bombastically pushed that Talarico believed that Jesus supported sex changes. 

'Not only did Talafreako state that God is transgender, he actually said that if Jesus Christ himself came and visited the Texas legislature, Jesus would be promoting sex changes for little children,' Trump declared onstage in Lubbock last Tuesday night.   

Still, some Talarico supporters told the Daily Mail that they believed certain Republicans would join them in supporting the Democrat at the ballot box – even if they're not public about it.

Among those convinced was former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who left his party and his home state of Illinois and relocated to Texas. 

'I don't think any Republican will admit that they're going to be a crossover voter, but in that privacy of the ballot box, I think there will be a lot,' Kinzinger told the Daily Mail at a Talarico event in Houston. 

Trump carried the state by 14 points just two years ago. Before Talarico, Republicans had won 13 straight Senate races in Texas, ten of them by double digits.

Beto O’Rourke came closest, losing to Ted Cruz by 2.6 points in 2018, and Colin Allred lost to Cruz by 8.5 points in 2024.

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Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

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