It’s a question that has been asked for a very long time now: Can Democrats finally end their decadeslong statewide losing streak in Texas?
And every few years, the answer comes back the same: No. Lucy has yanked the football away, yet again. Texas Democrats still haven’t won a statewide race since 1994 or a Senate race since 1988, the year before James Talarico was born.
But it’s a question that’s clearly legitimate in 2026. That’s because Democrats got their coveted opponent in the state’s US Senate race: the baggage-ridden Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. (Paxton drubbed Sen. John Cornyn in a runoff Tuesday after a late endorsement from President Donald Trump.)
“I got a message to Republicans in Texas and nationwide: Do not take this general election for granted,” GOP Sen. Ted Cruz said on a new episode of his podcast. “It is easy to say it’s Texas, it’s red, we’re going to win — and I believe we are going to win — but I also think the Democrat nominee James Talarico is a dangerous candidate.”
Indeed, the data suggest Democrats’ chances are as good as — or better than — ever in the last three decades. History and logic suggest it’s still worth being circumspect.
