In a stellar win in Texas, Democrat James Talarico has defeated Trump-aligned state Attorney General Ken Paxton, US media reports said. It is the Democratic Party's first statewide victory in more than 30 years.
Talarico's win is a huge moral boost for the Blue camp, as flipping a Senate seat in Texas has remained a Herculean task for them for a long time. The 37-year-old state legislator, former middle-school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian will become Texas' first Democratic senator since 1993, laying bare how voter frustration midway through Trump's second term imperilled Republicans deep inside typically safe turf. The victory is a rejection of Trump's pick for the seat and threatens the Republicans' control of the Senate, where Democrats needed to gain four seats to retake the majority.
Talarico will become the Senate's youngest member and replace longtime Senator John Cornyn, 74, who lost a bruising GOP primary to the scandal-plagued Paxton, whose nomination bolstered Talarico's appeal to Republican and independent voters.
Who is James Talarico?
James Talarico was born in Round Rock, Texas, on May 17, 1989. A product of student activism, Talarico was reportedly involved in campaigns concerning college affordability and tuition relief while pursuing a bachelor's degree at the University of Texas. Later in 2016, he completed a master's degree in education policy at Harvard University.
After graduating from the University of Texas, Talarico joined Teach For America and taught sixth-grade English at Rhodes Middle School on the West Side of San Antonio. Coming from a family with a Baptist preaching legacy in South Texas, he has spoken about how witnessing poverty and educational inequality among his students influenced his decision to enter politics.
He was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018, aged 29. Talarico won the election to represent Texas House District 52. He became one of the youngest members of the state legislature and subsequently represented District 50 following redistricting. He has served in the Texas House since January 2019.
"In 2018, at 29, he ran for an open Texas House seat in a swing district outside Austin and won. He was the youngest member of the 2019 legislature. Over four terms in the Republican-controlled House he was lead author of nearly 200 bills, 16 of which became law. He is best known for his speeches," the US-based Read the Profile website said.
