Democratic Senate-Elect James Talarico took the stage Tuesday evening to deafening cheers and a standing ovation from a packed auditorium, with the crowd celebrating the election of a Democratic senator from Texas for the first time in 38 years.
“We just took back Texas. We just proved that all the money in the world is no match to the people. We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love. And we just sent a message to every billionaire mega donor, every trillionaire mega donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people,” Talarico said.
Talarico did not mention his opponent Ken Paxton's name once during his remarks, but he repeatedly stressed his mission to defeat corruption. Talarico also made a point to address Texans that did not vote for him, promising to "always" serve and fight for them.
"And to the Texans who didn't vote for me, I will be your senator too. I will always ... I will always serve you. I will always fight for you. This win is not about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It's much bigger than that," he said.
"We united Texans from all backgrounds and beliefs under one team to take off this broken, corrupt political system. First-time voters, three-time Trump voters, working people from every corner of the state who are fed up and ready for change," he added.
Talarico continued to center his message around love and unity, emphasizing his desire to unite people and deliver change.
"People across the political spectrum are hungry for a different kind of politics: not a politics of hate, not a politics of fear, not a politics of division, but a politics of love," he said.
“We've won this race because people who are desperate for change now are going to get change," Talarico said. "That old politics is dying, and a new politics is being born through each of us."
-ABC News' Emily Chang
