James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat since 1988

Democrat James Talarico has won a key Senate race in Texas, in what is likely the single biggest upset for Republicans in this year's elections.

Talarico's stunning victory over Republican Ken Paxton marks the first time a Democrat has won a US Senate seat in Texas since 1988 - and has helped solidify Democrats taking full control of the US Congress in a tidal wave of wins across America.

Talarico, a former schoolteacher, was a little-known figure until last year. He made the rising cost of living under Republican leadership a central theme of his run.

Paxton sought to portray Talarico's views as too progressive for the state, and campaigned alongside Trump on several occasions.

Supporters of Talarico went berserk as TVs at a watch party in Austin, the state's capitol, projected him the winner.

They hugged, they kissed, and they drank to a reality that many say they dared not believe would come true.

Emerging on stage to rapturous applause at his official watch party at a nearby performing arts theatre, Talarico pronounced: "We just took back Texas."

"We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas," he continued, referring to his win over Paxton whose campaign was backed by Elon Musk, the world's richest man.

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