Democratic State Representative James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton

Federal and state elections held midway through a presidential term that determine control of Congress and shape the political direction of the country.

Large computing facilities built to train and run artificial intelligence models, and the public questions they raise about electricity, water and land. Fought locally through zoning and utility rates, and nationally through energy policy, grid capacity and federal support for the industry.

Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’s Senate election, ending the state Democratic Party’s 32-year statewide losing streak and its 38-year Senate drought. The result delivered a major Senate pickup and followed a campaign centered on affordability, corruption and opposition to President Trump’s policies.