Analysis: Talarico just climbed a big hill in Texas. Now he faces a mountain | CNN Politics

The prospect of turning Texas blue is once again tantalizing Democrats. But the party still faces imposing obstacles to reestablishing a foothold in the state. With the solid victory of state Rep. James Talarico in last week’s US Senate primary, Democrats have found a young and media-savvy candidate who both excites party activists and offers an opportunity to recapture some of the voters who long favored Texas Republicans. The GOP, meanwhile, faces the likelihood of a bitter run-off campaign through late May between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, even if President Donald Trump endorses Cornyn, as the incumbent’s allies hope. Add in Trump’s eroding popularity in the state — particularly among Hispanic voters, who flocked to him in 2024 — and Democrats understandably see their best chance in years to win a Texas US Senate seat, something they haven’t done in nearly four decades. Yet Texas Democrats have repeatedly seen other candidates who have inspired such excitement falter before. They have long struggled to translate favorable changes in the state’s population — increasing diversity and urbanization — into electoral success. And Cornynâ