A Democratic candidate has won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, defeating Republican Ken Paxton, according to BBC. It is the first time a Democrat has taken a Texas Senate seat since 1988. The result redraws a political map the party had held for decades and adds to Democratic control of the U.S. Congress, BBC reports.
The same election night brought a second upset in the state, with the Democratic candidate unseating Republican Governor Greg Abbott. According to BBC, it is the first Democratic win in a Texas governor's race since the 1990s.
Why it matters
Texas has long been treated as a Republican stronghold, and a Senate win there is a rare event in modern politics. BBC describes the outcome as historic, and the governor's race result compounds it. Together, the two victories suggest a shift in a state that Republicans have counted on, and they come in a midterm election year.
The result also strengthens the Democratic Party's position in Congress, according to BBC's reporting. Control of the Senate and the shape of the next legislative session were both in play, and the Texas seat adds to the party's hold.
A race shaped by the Republican candidate
BBC spoke with Prof Quardricos Driskell, a political science professor at George Washington University, who pointed to Paxton as a central reason for the Republican loss. Driskell called Paxton, in BBC's words, an objectively poor candidate.
The reporting also notes that two members of the Bush family, the Republican political dynasty rooted in Texas, publicly backed the Democratic candidate. BBC presents that support as an early signal of Paxton's defeat.
During the campaign, the Democratic winner spoke often about his religious background. His grandfather was a Southern Baptist minister, and he studied at a seminary, so his speeches frequently drew on biblical references, according to BBC.
What to watch
The results leave both parties facing questions about Texas ahead of the next national contests. How Republicans respond to losing both the Senate seat and the governor's office, and whether Democrats can repeat the outcome, will be the focus in the months ahead.
