The Texas Tribune reports, per preliminary data, that a turnout surge along the Texas-Mexico border and in big urban counties carried Democrats to a sweep in the Nov. 4, 2026 election, ending a decadeslong exile from statewide office, with about 9.8 million ballots cast and 51.6% turnout. Analyst Joshua Blank attributed the win to a national wave rather than record turnout, and Republican consultant Derek Ryan wrote that Democrats' urban and suburban gains plus rural inroads hurt Republicans further.