Talarico Says Texas Senate Win Sends Message to Elon Musk: 'Not for Sale'
Democrat James Talarico says his historic win in the Texas Senate race sends a clear message to billionaire Elon Musk, who poured millions into backing his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton.
"The people of Texas delivered a crystal-clear message to the world's first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale," Talarico said Wednesday on "CBS Mornings," a day after CBS News projected his victory.
Talarico Takes Aim at Musk
Talarico said his win shows that "the power in this state, in this country, belongs to the people." He accused Musk of wanting "his very own personal senator" who "was going to do his bidding," including selling off Texas land to data centers and taking the state's water and taxpayer dollars, according to CBS News.
Musk spent heavily in the race. In September, he donated more than $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing Senate Republicans, which then passed the money to a PAC supporting Paxton. Musk also gave $10 million through his trust to Lone Star Liberty PAC, which worked to elect Paxton.
Musk did not publicly respond to Talarico's comments in the reports available.
A Historic Win in Texas
Talarico's victory makes him the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in Texas since Lloyd Bentsen was reelected in 1988, and part of the first statewide Democratic wins in the state in more than 30 years, The Associated Press reported. Democrat Gina Hinojosa is also projected to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The result is a major upset in a state Trump carried by double digits two years ago. Polls in the final stretch had shown a close contest, with one October survey showing the race tied.
At 37, Talarico will be the youngest member of the Senate. The state representative from Austin is a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian. He will replace Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who lost the GOP primary to Paxton.
Talarico ran on economic populism and the rising cost of living, arguing that the real divide in politics is between the top and the bottom, not left and right. His campaign also gained attention through viral TikTok videos, and he drew national interest when Jimmy Kimmel moved his interview to YouTube in September.
"We saw a win the size of Texas, and that means we have a mandate the size of Texas," Talarico said.
A Tough Night for Republicans
Paxton called it a "difficult" night for Republicans. During the campaign, he painted Talarico as a liberal extremist, pointing to past comments Talarico has since called "cringey." Paxton also faced questions about his own legal and personal troubles and struggled to unite Republicans after a bruising primary.
Texas was one of several Republican-held seats Democrats flipped on Tuesday. CBS News projects Democrats will control the Senate with 54 seats, with wins in Kansas, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maine.
President Donald Trump, who endorsed Paxton and campaigned in Texas in the final days, congratulated Democrats. "My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," he told CBS News. He also told Fox News he was surprised, saying, "I thought they'd do better," and said he would use his veto, which he called his "ultimate power."
Cornyn offered a brief reaction: "The voters have spoken."
What Comes Next
Talarico said he hopes to meet with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who is expected to seek another term as majority leader, to "hear about his vision."
Spending in the race topped half a billion dollars on ads from both sides, according to AdImpact.
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