Texas Turns Blue as Hispanic Voters on the Border Help Drive the Shift
Texas, a state that has long voted reliably Republican, turned blue in the midterm elections held November 3, 2026, according to NPR. The public radio network reported that Hispanic voters along the Texas-Mexico border had a big influence on the result.
The most closely watched race was for U.S. Senate, the chamber of Congress that approves federal judges and many national officials. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in that race. Reuters reported that Talarico became Texas's first Democratic senator-elect in 38 years. At the time of his victory speech in Austin, Talarico was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the state legislature.
Democrats also flipped the Texas House in the same election, according to CBS News Texas.
The AP Voter Poll found that roughly six in 10 Hispanic voters in Texas supported Talarico, while about three in 10 backed Paxton. Across the country, Hispanic voters shifted back toward Democrats in 2026, reversing earlier Republican gains with this group.
The Texas election was held on the uniform date set by state law for November of even-numbered years, the day when federal, state and county officers are chosen.
