The 20-year-old Texan spent Election Day canvassing the UT Austin campus, handing out “Longhorns for Talarico” stickers to her fellow college students. She stayed up with friends to watch the results roll in — their nervous optimism growing into unmitigated jubilance that spread as people paraded around campus with “Talarico” and “Hinojosa” signs. “Emotions were high, endorphins were running, ...

Texas holds their primary elections including two hotly contested races for Democratic and Republican Senate nominations.

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The 20-year-old Texan spent Election Day canvassing the UT Austin campus, handing out “Longhorns for Talarico” stickers to her fellow college students. She stayed up with friends to watch the results roll in — their nervous optimism growing into unmitigated jubilance that spread as people paraded around campus with “Talarico” and “Hinojosa” signs.

“Emotions were high, endorphins were running, everyone was crying,” she said. “It was a fantastic night.”

About 200 miles to the north, in Dallas, Sarah Gardner, 31, ended her night on a note of “gloomy acceptance.” She and about a hundred other young Republicans slowly trickled out of their watch party at an Uptown sports bar, wrapping up a night many would rather forget.

“It just got worse as the night went on,” she said.

The next morning, Gardner and Romero-Kibler woke up to a blue Texas for the first time in their lives.

Regardless of their political views, the young Texans agreed the change was historic. Democrats swept every statewide race, electing a Democratic senator and governor for the first time in more than three decades. It’s a change that left young Texans from both parties wondering what the future might hold for their state.

Adit Raha, the president of the University Democrats at UT Austin, said Democrats sweeping victories represents a clear “mandate for change” in the state. He’s excited to see if Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa can reshape higher education by appointing new leadership to shake up public universities.

“It’ll only change the state for the better for young people,” he said.

But others aren’t as optimistic.

Gardner, the secretary of the Dallas County Young Republicans, is still getting used to thinking about Texas as a blue state — even if temporarily.

“I never thought I would see this day,” she said. “We’re just kind of in shock and disappointed because I don’t think this is the real Texas.”

Gardner attributed the Democrats’ success to their candidates’ mobilizing voters across the state, while some “unlikeable” Republican candidates did not inspire the same energy in their base.

“I just didn’t think Republican voters would just like sit on the sidelines like this,” she said. “It’s screwed us in a lot of ways for years to come.”

Young voters — a demographic that largely shifted toward President Donald Trump in the 2024 election — swung back to the left in the 2026 midterms, helping propel Democrats to victory.

According to a poll conducted by public opinion research firm SSRS, a majority of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 overwhelmingly voted for Talarico and Hinojosa over their Republican counterparts. The poll found that 77% of people in that age range voted for Hinojosa, while 21% of the same demographic voted for Gov. Greg Abbott. An even higher percentage of young voters – 79% – voted for Talarico, and 19% voted for Paxton.

Gardner said young voters — frustrated by the high cost of living and the ongoing war with Iran — were hungry for change.

“Young people want instant gratification,” she said. “Over the past two years, they just haven't gotten the results that they want.”

Despite the dramatic shift to the left, Gardner doesn’t think Texas will stay blue for long. But at a victory celebration in Austin on Wednesday, younger Democrats were more hopeful the midterm elections represent a new chapter for Texas politics.

“It’s just the beginning,” Raha said. “We have to continue the momentum, but it’s a good start.”

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