When Texas last sent a Democrat to the Senate in 1988, James Talarico had not been born.
asserted
Talarico → send → 1988
Since then, the state has been turning deeper shades of red.
asserted
state → turn → red
In Mr Talarico's lifetime (and he's 37), no Democrat had won a statewide election in Texas.
asserted
Democrat → win → Texas
People backed Republican governor after governor, senator after senator, attorney-general after attorney-general.
asserted
People → back → general
I'm dreaming.
asserted
I → dream → ?
Don't wake me up," Van Jones, a political commentator who worked as an advisor in the Obama White House, told CNN after seeing the midterm results in Texas.
asserted
who → wake → Texas
He took the analysis beyond the Lone Star state, declaring: "This is a new country.
asserted
This → take → state
Polls suggested the US midterm election results would be bad for Donald Trump's Republicans (also known as the GOP), but what transpired this week was surely beyond the Democrats wildest dreams.
uncertain
transpired → suggest → dreams
People inside the party have long talked about turning Texas "purple" (making it more competitive in elections) and were cautiously optimistic of claiming an historic, and narrow victory this week, so long as everything went their way.
asserted
everything → talk → victory
With most ballots counted, Mr Talarico is 12 points ahead of his Republican rival Ken Paxton.
asserted
Talarico → count → rival
"This is a win the size of Texas," the Democrat told supporters at his victory party, to wild cheers.
asserted
Democrat → tell → cheers
"Now we have a mandate the size of Texas.
asserted
we → have → Texas
This election was about chasing a vision of what this state can be."
asserted
state → chase → vision
Elon Musk, the world's richest man and on-again, off-again friend of the president, tipped about $US160 million ($229 million) into Paxton's campaign.
asserted
Musk → tip → campaign
Mr Musk has moved part of his business empire to Texas, where tax laws are more favourable than many parts of the US.
asserted
laws → move → US
While it's true that midterm elections in the US almost always deliver a backlash against the sitting president's party, analysts say Tuesday's results go much further than that.
asserted
results → deliver → that
Many consider Texas the epicentre of this political earthquake.
asserted
Texas → consider → earthquake
"It's going to be almost impossible to win this state back.
asserted
It → go → state
I blame it on our leadership," Republican Don Huffines, the state's top financial official, said during his election night party.
asserted
Huffines → blame → party
The GOP lost control of both the House and the Senate.
asserted
GOP → lose → House
That's something that has happened to the president of the day only four times previously since World War II.
asserted
that → happen → II
As part of the blue wave in Texas, a Democrat governor was also elected for the first time since 1990.
asserted
governor → elect → 1990
Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Greg Abbott.
asserted
Hinojosa → defeat → Abbott
In some ways Ms Hinojosa, a Latina woman, embodies the shift that happened in the state.
asserted
that → embody → state
At the 2024 presidential election, data showed significant support among America's Latino community for Mr Trump.
asserted
data → show → Trump
But the president's immigration crackdown and policy of mass deportations over the past two years has changed that.
asserted
crackdown → change → that
Speaking on CNN, Democratic analyst Jones pointed out people may have voted to "close the border" when they sent Mr Trump back to the White House.
uncertain
they → speak → House
"But they didn't vote for nannies to be thrown on the ground," he said.
asserted
he → vote → ground
"They didn't vote for babies to be ripped away from their mothers.
asserted
babies → vote → mothers
And the Latino community said no."
asserted
community → say → ?
During her election night party, Ms Hinojosa honoured her heritage.
asserted
Hinojosa → honour → heritage
"No te dejes," she told the crowd, a Spanish phrase which translates to "don't let yourself be pushed around".
asserted
yourself → tell → phrase
"A lot of Latinas in Texas grew up hearing those same words from their own mothers, their own abuelas," Ms Hinojosa said.
"
asserted
Hinojosa → grow → mothers
This year we lived them, and we changed this state.
asserted
we → live → state
And this win belongs to you and to them."
asserted
win → belong → them
US politics is looking and sounding different after the midterms.
On top of Ms Hinojosa's win, voters in Georgia elected the country's first Black woman governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms (another Democrat).
asserted
voters → look → governor
Indeed, women were elected in record numbers on Tuesday evening and a total of 17 female governors will be in office from January — the highest number ever.
asserted
governors → elect → January
In Michigan, meanwhile, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will be America's first Muslim senator, after he beat his Republican rival.
asserted
he → beat → rival
Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Kansas in almost a century.
asserted
Hamilton → become → century
South Carolina sent a Democrat senator to Washington DC for the first time since the 1990s.
asserted
Carolina → send → 1990s
…and 25 more, not listed.
The Aporia
