Democrat James Talarico won the U.S. Senate race in Texas over Republican Ken Paxton, according to CBS Texas. The seat was previously held by retiring Sen. John Cornyn. CBS Texas reported that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is now the only statewide elected Republican in Texas.
Cruz called the results a "Watergate-level repudiation" for the GOP in a social media post Wednesday evening. He said he had called Talarico to congratulate him and to discuss working together for the state. Cruz blamed federal policies, including tariffs and the Iran war, for the party's losses. He also said Texas would become red again and that he was optimistic about rebuilding.
Cornyn congratulated Talarico and offered help with his transition. Paxton offered prayers and congratulations in a speech Tuesday night. Speaking on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Talarico said his win showed Texans across the political spectrum wanted change. He said he plans to pursue campaign finance reform, citing an estimated $150 million that Elon Musk put toward supporting Paxton's campaign.