The traditional "red state" of Texas in the United States has seen a complete shift towards blue politics.
On November 4th, according to predictions from American media and election analysts, in the Senate seat elections in Texas, Democratic candidate James Tarryko defeated Republican candidate Ken Paxton. According to data from The Associated Press, in nearly 70% of the counted votes, Tarryko received 58.9% of the votes, far ahead of his competitor’s 39.5%.
At around 14:00 local time yesterday morning, Paxton admitted he had lost the election.
In his brief speech, he congratulated Taralico on his election: "I promise to pray for him, and that he will make contributions to Texas and this country."
Paxton also admitted that the Republican Party suffered electoral losses across the United States. He said, "Tonight, people all over the country have experienced a difficult night, but it is not over yet."
American media noted that this is the first significant victory for the Democratic Party in this “island state” in nearly 40 years. For Democrats, this is a moment of great significance. At the same time, it represents a major blow to Republicans.
Meanwhile, Democrat Gina Innohos is expected to defeat Republican candidate and current governor of the state, Greg Abott, becoming Texas’ first Latino governor, ending the Republican dominance of the position for over thirty years. Innohos will be the first Democrat elected as governor since 1990, and the third female governor in Texas’ history.
Previously, it was considered impossible for the Democrats to win the Texas governor election. Abott, who has been serving as the governor since 2015, has substantial campaign funds and a strong political network. Trump won the state with a large margin in 2024.
Associated Press Mapping
The Associated Press predicts that Democrats have secured 51 seats, regaining control of the U.S. Federal Senate. The results of the House elections are still difficult to predict, but Democrats are expected to win a majority of seats as well. The Hill Report and CNN predict that Democrats will also secure a majority of seats in the House.
Analyses suggest that this result reflects Americans' deep dissatisfaction with high prices, the war in Iran, and government corruption.
The Democratic control of the congress will profoundly change the last two years of Trump’s presidency and may weaken his ability to implement his agenda. However, Trump has promised to use the veto power to prevent the Democrats from advancing their agenda, indicating that a deadlock may arise between the White House and Congress in the future.
