James Talarico calls for unity in victory speech after winning Texas Senate race
In a victory speech after winning the Texas U.S. Senate race, the speaker celebrates a campaign turned into a movement built by underdogs. Emphasizing a politics of love over division, the newly elected senator pledges to represent all Texans, tackle economic inequality, and get big money out of politics to bridge deep political divides.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, delivered a scathing assessment on Wednesday of Republicans’ sweeping midterm election losses, describing the results as a “blue tsunami” and warning that his party had lost touch with voters, particularly in the Lone Star State.
In a lengthy post on X, Cruz acknowledged that Republicans had suffered historic defeats, losing control of both chambers of Congress while Democrats swept statewide races in Texas.
“2026 was not simply a blue wave; it was a blue tsunami. It was an ass kicking,” Cruz wrote. “It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election. It was a Watergate-level repudiation.”
His blunt assessment came after a landmark Democratic breakthrough in traditionally Republican strongholds across the country, including in his home state, where Democrats won every statewide race, ending decades of Republican dominance.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, delivers remarks on the second day of the Republican Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 10, 2026. (Laura Brett/Sipa USA)
“Nowhere are the consequences of this election greater than Texas,” Cruz wrote. “In the Lone Star State, we lost every single statewide election.”
“Texas is blue. That is a hard sentence to utter. But Texas, today at least, is blue,” he continued.
Democrats scored two major victories in Texas, with James Talarico defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race — marking the first Democratic Senate victory in the Lone Star State in nearly four decades — and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa unseating longtime Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the Decision Desk.
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Democratic Senate nominee Texas state Rep. James Talarico speaks at an election night event in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
Cruz argued that Republicans’ political defeat stemmed from their failure to address growing frustration over the cost of living, as voters continued struggling with everyday expenses.
“Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high,” he wrote.
“Understandably, people were pissed off, and elected Republicans didn’t do enough to address their very real pain,” Cruz said.
He also criticized tariffs and the prolonged war with Iran, arguing that both had contributed to voter frustration.
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Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated longtime Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas’ 2026 gubernatorial election, marking a historic Democratic victory in the traditionally Republican stronghold, according to the Decision Desk. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
He said Republicans had lost support among blue-collar workers, young voters, farmers, ranchers and Hispanic voters, while evangelical Christians failed to turn out with the same enthusiasm as in previous elections, concluding that his party had “alienated rural America.”
Cruz said he called Talarico after the election to congratulate him on his victory.
“Last night, I called James Talarico. I congratulated him on his very impressive victory,” Cruz wrote, adding that the two had a “pleasant conversation” and that he was willing to work with the Democrat on issues benefiting Texas.
Despite the sweeping losses, which also included Democratic wins in the state’s lieutenant governor and attorney general races, Cruz expressed optimism that Republicans could regain ground in Texas.
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Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
“But hear me now: we will bring Texas back,” he wrote. “Texas will be red again.”
Throughout the campaign, Talarico cast himself as a moderate dedicated to representing Texans rather than Democratic interests in Washington.
Paxton, along with President Donald Trump and other national Republicans, labeled Talarico a “communist” and a vegan in barbecue-loving Texas, pointing to his support for the transgender community while in the Texas Legislature and a floor speech in which he said God was “nonbinary.”
“We have not suddenly become a bunch of tofu-eating, gun-banning, tutu-wearing pinko commie liberals,” Cruz wrote. “That ain’t us. Texas is still Texas.”
“We will rebuild as a true blue-collar party, not by embracing socialism, but by being real free-market conservatives,” he continued, predicting a political comeback for Republicans.
“It is dark right now, but it is always darkest before the dawn, and morning is coming,” he said.
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Digital’s Alex Miller, Elizabeth Elkind and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
