Democrat James Talarico is projected to win the U.S. Senate race in Texas over Republican Ken Paxton, according to the report. If the projection holds, Talarico, 37, would be the state's first Democratic senator since 1993 and the Senate's youngest member. He would replace Republican Sen. John Cornyn, 74, who lost the GOP primary to Paxton.
The race was one of the most expensive of the midterm elections. Paxton's legal and ethical issues were a major part of the campaign. He faced a federal corruption investigation that did not lead to charges. The Texas House impeached him, and he was later acquitted in the state Senate.
Talarico's campaign focused on economic issues and criticized billionaires for what he said was corrupting politics. Elon Musk, a Texas resident who spent heavily backing Paxton, was among the figures Talarico criticized. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate.