James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat since 1988

Supporters of Talarico went berserk as TVs at a watch party in Austin, the state's capitol, projected him the winner.

They hugged, they kissed, and they drank to a reality that many say they dared not believe would come true.

For decades, the idea of a Democrat winning a statewide race had felt like a pipe dream for Texas liberals.

As the nation's second most populous state, Texas has been a bastion of conservatism, routinely rolling out Republican policies that are later employed elsewhere.

But throughout the campaign, polls suggested state legislator Talarico was breaking through with voters, energising a Texas Democratic base desperate for new leadership.