By Beckett Rakes | Staff Writer
Baylor students reacted with surprise and cautious optimism Wednesday after Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa won Texas’ Senate and gubernatorial races, respectively, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape.
In Texas, Talarico handily bested incumbent Ken Paxton. This victory, compounded with Hinojosa’s decisive win over incumbent Greg Abbott, marked a major shift in Texas politics.
For many Baylor students, the idea of a Democrat-controlled Texas is shocking.
Hartsville, South Carolina, sophomore Mary Jane Lopiccolo was not expecting the number of flipped states.
“I think overall, I was pretty shocked,” Lopiccolo said. “There’s such a dissatisfaction that’s showing.”
Frisco sophomore Eli Kim said he was surprised by how unified the American public appeared on the issue. The media had led him to believe there were strong regional divides.
“I was thinking that America was still pretty split by region,” Kim said.
But for some, this Democrat win was predictable.
Colleyville senior Dillan Marshall argued that Paxton’s unsatisfactory campaign and controversial reputation contributed to Talarico’s win. While Mirshall does not consider Paxton a “Republican in Name Only” candidate, he said the former attorney general’s character and political connections made him an unfavorable choice for voters.
“He’s not necessarily a RINO Republican,” Marshall said of Paxton. “He’s more of just a bad dude that knows the right people. He’s had such a shady past. He really shouldn’t be running at all.”
San Antonio senior Jasmine Czajka agreed, arguing that Paxton and, by extension, the Republican Party failed to persuade moderate voters, while Talarico succeeded.
“[Talarico] kind of appealed to the people who weren’t really sure which side they were on,” Czajka said. “He has a lot of strong policies and opinions that I think kind of align with both sides, especially more moderate people.”
Beyond appealing to moderate voters, other students saw his victory as an opportunity for change.
Marshall said Paxton represents the type of politician young Americans increasingly want to avoid.
“Overall, I would say that the greatest kind of detriment to politics right now is these kinds of hanger-oners, like Ken Paxton,” Marshall said. “But keep in mind, pretty much every single midterm for the last 60 years has literally been … the opposition parties won the majority of it. For the last 50 years of modern U.S. politics, the people in charge usually never, that party usually never gets the upvote in the midterms.”
The midterm results have also prompted Baylor students to consider what the elections could mean for the 2028 presidential race. With Democrats gaining control of Congress and Trump’s approval rating falling, some students believe Democrats could have an advantage in the next presidential election.
“I definitely think it will affect the race,” Lopiccolo said. “I think, maybe, if we’re lucky, it will inspire some change and move us toward growth.”
Kim compared the election results to a political pendulum, suggesting that the country’s recent Republican leadership could give way to Democratic victories.
“It’s like a pendulum,” Kim said, referring to the blue wave. “We have been Republican for a bit, so I think it definitely could happen.”
However, some students said the outcome of the 2028 presidential election will depend more on the candidates than their party affiliations.
“It depends on the candidate,” Czajka said about the 2028 presidential election. “There’s a lot of people that hated both candidates we had for the last presidential race. So, I feel like it really just depends on who they put in the race.”
