How Republicans Lost Texas

Poor candidate selection and focusing on the wrong issues combined with a hostile national environment. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. James Talarico beating Ken Paxton? Sure. Greg Abbott getting upset? Maybe, it’s a weird year. But no one in Texas—not the biggest Republican pessimist or the truest-blue Democratic believer—thought that 30-plus years of GOP dominance would end Tuesday night in one fell swoop. Republicans lost every statewide race on the ballot. Want to see more of The Dispatch in Google search? Add Us as a Preferred Source Ryan J. Rusak is a writer and editor based in Fort Worth. More on the 2026 Midterms