Election 2026: Terry County Stays Solidly Republican as Democrats Deliver Historic Upsets Across Texas and Nation

November 4, 2026 | TownTalk Media

Texas and the United States’ political landscape underwent a dramatic transformation Tuesday night, November 3, 2026, as Democrats scored major midterm victories, including historic wins in the Texas governor’s race and U.S. Senate contest. However, the story was significantly different in Terry County, where Republican candidates maintained commanding leads across every major contested race.

According to unofficial election results released by Terry County at 10:32 p.m. Tuesday, 2,664 ballots were cast locally, including 1,793 during early voting, 808 on Election Day, and 63 absentee ballots. All six Election Day precincts had reported, although the county’s report still classified the results as unofficial and partially reported.

The local results demonstrated that Terry County remains a Republican stronghold, even as voters elsewhere in Texas delivered some of the most consequential Democratic victories in the state’s modern political history.

Terry County voters overwhelmingly support Republicans

Perhaps the clearest example of the political divide between Terry County and the statewide electorate came in the United States Senate race.

Republican Ken Paxton received 1,844 votes in Terry County, representing approximately 70.4% of votes cast in that contest. Democrat James Talarico received 710 votes, or 27.1%, while Libertarian Ted Brown collected 62 votes. Five write-in votes were also recorded.

Despite Paxton’s decisive local victory, Talarico won the statewide contest, marking a historic Democratic breakthrough in Texas. The result means that Terry County voters overwhelmingly supported a candidate who ultimately lost statewide. KUT Radio, Austin’s NPR Station+1

A similar outcome unfolded in the race for Texas governor.

Incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott carried Terry County with 1,896 votes, approximately 72% of the votes in the contest. Democrat Gina Hinojosa received 680 votes, while Libertarian Pat Dixon collected 55 votes and write-in candidates received two votes.

Statewide, however, Hinojosa defeated Abbott, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governor’s office. Abbott conceded the race, and Hinojosa is set to become Texas’s first Latina governor. The Texas Tribune+1

The contrast illustrates an increasingly important political reality: strong Republican margins in rural West Texas were not enough to offset Democratic gains elsewhere in the state.

Tom Sell carries Terry County and wins Congressional District 19

While Democrats celebrated major victories across Texas, Republican Tom Sell delivered a convincing performance in the U.S. House race in Congressional District 19.

Sell received 1,952 votes in Terry County, approximately 75.4% of votes cast in the contest, compared with Democrat Kyle Rable’s 637 votes, or 24.6%.

Sell also won the district-wide contest, according to election reporting. Texas Secretary of State results showed Sell with a substantial advantage over Rable as returns continued to be reported. The district includes much of West Texas and the South Plains. Tuesday, November 3, 2026+1

Sell’s victory was particularly significant because it preserved Republican representation in a traditionally conservative congressional district as Democrats gained seats nationally.

Republican candidates dominate Terry County’s statewide contests

The county’s Republican voting pattern continued throughout the statewide ballot. Every Republican candidate in a contested statewide executive race carried Terry County by a substantial margin.

The following are unofficial Terry County vote totals:

Despite these local results, Democrats achieved sweeping gains in statewide executive offices.

Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, while Nathan Johnson beat Mayes Middleton for attorney general. Democrats also prevailed in the contests for comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner, according to statewide election reporting. Reuters+2

For Terry County, those statewide outcomes mean several candidates overwhelmingly supported by local voters will not take office in January.

The agriculture commissioner race matters especially in West Texas.

Republican Nate Sheets, who received 1,900 votes locally, lost statewide to Democrat Clayton Tucker. Tucker will become the first Democrat to hold the position since 1990. The Texas Department of Agriculture plays a significant role in issues affecting rural communities, agricultural producers, and the state’s farming economy.

Perry and Burrows maintain strong support in Terry County. Republican State Senator Charles Perry, representing Senate District 28, received 1,925 votes in Terry County compared with 624 votes for Democrat Riley Rodriguez. In Texas House District 83, Republican Dustin Burrows received 1,918 votes locally, while Democrat Malik Williams received 626 votes.

The results demonstrate continued Republican support for the area’s state legislative representation, even as statewide executive races shifted dramatically toward Democrats.

Terry County’s local candidates run unopposed

Although the statewide contests generated considerable attention, several Terry County officials appeared on the ballot without opposition.

Unofficial results showed County Judge Tony Serbantez receiving 2,172 votes, the highest total among the county-level candidates listed.

Other local results included:

All the listed local candidates ran as Republicans and were unopposed.

The results also showed substantial participation in these uncontested races, with several candidates receiving more than 2,000 votes.

Wellman-Union ISD tax proposition rejected

One of the most consequential local results came from voters in the Wellman-Union Independent School District, which held a voter-approval tax rate election.

Proposition A was defeated, according to the unofficial Terry County returns.

WELLMAN-UNION ISD PROPOSITION A — TERRY COUNTY RETURNS

• Against 90 (55.2%
• For 73 (44.8%)

163 votes cast on the proposition in Terry County; margin of 17 votes. The proposition received 73 votes in favor and 90 against, meaning about 55.2% of voters opposed the measure. Because the proposal concerned the district’s voter-approved tax rate, the result carries financial implications for the school district. The final effect on the district’s budget and tax rate will depend on the complete official election results and the district’s subsequent actions.

Democrats capture Congress in nationwide political wave

Beyond Texas, Tuesday’s election delivered a sweeping victory for the Democratic Party.

The Associated Press reported that Democrats secured control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, dealing a significant political setback to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. AP News+1

Democrats captured Senate seats in several traditionally Republican states, including Texas, Kansas, Iowa and South Carolina, while also flipping more than two dozen House districts.

According to national election coverage, voter concerns about the cost of living, inflation, the war with Iran and government corruption contributed to Republican losses. Democrats also made gains among constituencies that had supported Republicans in recent elections.

The shift in congressional control will have far-reaching consequences for the remainder of President Trump’s term. Democratic majorities will have greater influence over federal spending, legislation and congressional oversight, while the president and Republican lawmakers will face a substantially different political environment heading toward the 2028 presidential election.

Republicans, meanwhile, will be evaluating how the party lost ground in states and districts previously considered reliably conservative.

A historic political transformation in Texas

Texas may be the most significant story from Tuesday’s election.

For more than three decades, Republicans controlled statewide elected offices, with Democrats repeatedly falling short in attempts to break the GOP’s dominance.

That political streak came to an end Tuesday.

Hinojosa’s victory over Abbott represents the first Democratic gubernatorial win since Ann Richards was elected in 1990. Richards served until January 1995, when Republican George W. Bush took office.

Talarico’s Senate victory is equally consequential, breaking a long period of Republican control of the state’s U.S. Senate representation. The Texas Tribune+1

The results represent a major political realignment for a state that Republicans have relied upon in national elections.

However, it remains uncertain whether Tuesday’s results signal a permanent partisan shift or a powerful midterm reaction to current economic conditions, national leadership and political dissatisfaction.

Republican victories in Terry County and other rural West Texas communities demonstrate that the party continues to have a substantial geographic base of support, even as the statewide electorate moves in a different direction.

What does this mean for Terry County and West Texas?

For residents of Brownfield, Meadow, Wellman and surrounding Terry County communities, the election produced two distinct political outcomes.

Locally, Republicans maintained overwhelming electoral support, and voters continued to favor conservative candidates for county, legislative and statewide offices.

Statewide and nationally, however, the political leadership voters will be dealing with is changing substantially.

A Democratic governor, Democratic statewide officeholders and Democratic control of Congress could lead to different policy priorities involving education funding, agriculture, energy production, transportation, taxes and economic development.

For rural communities, the challenge will be ensuring that West Texas interests remain represented in policy discussions, regardless of which political party controls the state or federal government.

The outcome of the Wellman-Union ISD tax proposition also reinforces the importance of local elections. While statewide political changes attract national attention, decisions about school financing and local taxation can have an immediate impact on families and taxpayers.

A clear message from Election Day

The 2026 midterm elections delivered a message that will likely shape political discussions for years. Across the country, voters gave Democrats a mandate to take control of Congress. In Texas, they ended more than 30 years of Republican dominance in statewide elections.

But in Terry County, the electorate told a very different story. Republican candidates consistently received approximately seven out of every ten votes in many of the county’s most closely watched contested races.

The contrast underscores a growing divide between rural West Texas voting patterns and those of the statewide electorate. For both major political parties, the election presents important questions about voter expectations, leadership, public policy and the direction of government.

For Republicans, the results represent a significant defeat and an opportunity to reassess their approach to voters. For Democrats, the victories create an opportunity to govern and demonstrate whether their policies can address the concerns that helped carry them into office.