Dallas – As the night of November 3 unfolded, the Texas Secretary of State released an update at 10:24 p.m. Central time showing Democrat James Talarico with a commanding lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race. Talarico recorded 3,814,107 votes compared with Paxton’s 3,132,327, a margin of 681,780 votes.
At the same time, Republican Governor Greg Abbott publicly conceded the governor’s contest to Democrat Gina Hinojosa during live coverage, acknowledging the Democratic lead. While the results remain unofficial pending full canvass and certification, the early figures signal a historic shift in a state where Republicans have held every Senate seat since 1988.
Other statewide contests showing Democratic leads
The Secretary of State’s update also highlighted Democratic leads in five other major statewide races, with 31% of polling locations reporting. In the lieutenant governor race, Democrat Vikki Goodwin led incumbent Republican Dan Patrick, 3,584,390 to 3,273,974. For attorney general, Democrat Nathan Johnson topped Republican Mayes Middleton, 3,616,329 to 3,285,751. In the comptroller race, Democrat Sarah Eckhardt led Republican Don Huffines, 3,537,178 to 3,296,489.
Democrat Benjamin Flores led incumbent Republican Dawn Buckingham in the land commissioner race, 3,522,101 to 3,338,596, and Democrat Clayton Tucker led Republican Nate Sheets for agriculture commissioner, 3,514,953 to 3,310,774. Additional Democratic leads were reported for the railroad commissioner and several judicial races, though margins varied.
Reporting context and next steps
The 31% figure reflects the proportion of polling locations that have reported, not the share of total ballots counted. Texas counties release early and Election Day votes at different times, so the balance of outstanding ballots could affect final tallies. The Secretary of State’s numbers remain unofficial until the required canvass and certification are completed.
Separately, Reuters documented a $1 million payment by Polymarket’s operator to the Democratic‑aligned House Majority Forward and approximately $1.3 million in combined contributions from Polymarket and its CEO Shayne Coplan to Republican organizations and candidates. The Anti‑Corruption Data Collective examined concentrated betting activity in prediction markets, and prior Dallas Express coverage compared Polymarket odds with a Paxton campaign poll.
These early results follow a recent Democratic Senate pickup in North Carolina, underscoring a broader trend of competitive races in traditionally Republican strongholds.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
