{"id":"1793770947311-news-segment","slug":"tejano-star-flips-deep-red-texas-seat","title":"Tejano Star Flips Deep-Red Texas Seat","summary":"Democrats won the Senate majority in the 2026 midterms, setting up divided government for the rest of Donald Trump's term. The pivotal projected result was in Maine, where Democrat Troy Jackson defeated six-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Fox News' Decision Desk projected the upset, and early ABC reporting showed Jackson leading 51%-49%. NPR also reported the AP called Iowa's Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Sen. Ashley Hinson. In the House, Democrat Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th District.\n\nVoter frustration over high prices and the broader political environment hurt Republicans. In Maine, Collins was seeking a sixth term in a state that has shifted toward Democrats in presidential elections. In Iowa and parts of Texas, Democrats made inroads by focusing on cost-of-living concerns, health care, and, in South Texas, backlash to immigration enforcement raids. Some Democratic candidates, like Pulido, distanced themselves from the national party and ran as “conservative Democrats.”\n\nCNN projected Tejano singer Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th District. The Texas Tribune reported Pulido declared victory with a large lead, though the AP had not yet called the race at that time.\n\nFox News' Decision Desk projected Democrat Troy Jackson would defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Early vote reporting had Jackson ahead 51%-49% with about 27% expected vote reporting.\n\nCNN projected the same Maine result as Fox News: Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins, giving Democrats a Senate pickup.\n\nNPR reports Democrats won the Senate, setting up divided government for the remainder of Trump's term. A key projected pick-up was Maine, where Troy Jackson defeated Susan Collins.\n\nNPR reports the Associated Press called Iowa's Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Sen. Ashley Hinson. This is an interview/opinion piece with New York Mayor Mamdani about","publishedAt":"2026-11-04T05:42:27.311Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"Overnight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: CNN projected Tejano singer Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th District. The Texas Tribune reported Pulido declared victory with a large lead, though the AP had not yet called the race at that time.\nSource: [texastribune.org](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/11/03/texas-bobby-pulido-monica-de-la-cruz-congress-district-15-elections-2026/) NAMES: Bobby Pulido = Teja (https://x.com/CNN/status/2117852927238754398)\n\nTRUE: Fox News' Decision Desk projected Democrat Troy Jackson would defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Early vote reporting had Jackson ahead 51%-49% with about 27% expected vote reporting.\nSource: [foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = six-term Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = fo (https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2117852438082285813)\n\nTRUE: CNN projected the same Maine result as Fox News: Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins, giving Democrats a Senate pickup.\nSource: [foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = Democratic  (https://x.com/CNN/status/2117853618812371442)\n\nTRUE: NPR reports Democrats won the Senate, setting up divided government for the remainder of Trump's term. A key projected pick-up was Maine, where Troy Jackson defeated Susan Collins.\nSource: [npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power) NAMES: None. (https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power)\n\nTRUE: NPR reports the Associated Press called Iowa's Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Sen. Ashley Hinson. This is an interview/opinion piece with New York Mayor Mamdani about democratic socialists and working-class voters; no separate factual claim needs checking.\nSource: [npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek) NAMES: Josh Turek = Democratic Senate candidate; Ashley Hinson = incumbent Rep (https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNN projected Tejano singer Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th District. The Texas Tribune reported Pulido declared victory with a large lead, though the AP had not yet called the race at that time.","sourceName":"[texastribune.org](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/11/03/texas-bobby-pulido-monica-de-la-cruz-congress-district-15-elections-2026/) NAMES: Bobby Pulido = Teja","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117852927238754398","claim":"Democrats will flip control of Texas' deep-red 15th District, CNN projects, with Tejano singer Bobby Pulido defeating two-term GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Follow live updates. https://t.co/mUlE7rP9Ak https://t.co/lSiOlOhO2r","author":"@CNN"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Fox News' Decision Desk projected Democrat Troy Jackson would defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Early vote reporting had Jackson ahead 51%-49% with about 27% expected vote reporting.","sourceName":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = six-term Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = fo","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2117852438082285813","claim":"BREAKING: The Fox News Decision Desk can project that Democrat Troy Jackson will defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. The state has backed Democrats in every presidential election since 1992, but voters also elected Republican Susan Collins to five consecutive Senate ht","author":"Fox News (@FoxNews)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"CNN projected the same Maine result as Fox News: Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins, giving Democrats a Senate pickup.","sourceName":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = Democratic ","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117853618812371442","claim":"Republican Sen. Susan Collins will lose reelection in Maine to Troy Jackson, CNN projects, giving Democrats a pickup they have long sought in a blue-leaning state. Follow live updates. https://t.co/cOptJceBkI https://t.co/T48l5aCEbn","author":"@CNN"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"NPR reports Democrats won the Senate, setting up divided government for the remainder of Trump's term. A key projected pick-up was Maine, where Troy Jackson defeated Susan Collins.","sourceName":"[npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power) NAMES: None.","sourceUrl":"https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power","claim":"Democrats win the Senate, setting up divided government for remainder of Trump's term - Democrats won by making inroads in several states where they have long struggled, boosted by a challenging political environment for the GOP dominated by voter frustration over high prices.","author":"NPR"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"NPR reports the Associated Press called Iowa's Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Sen. Ashley Hinson. This is an interview/opinion piece with New York Mayor Mamdani about democratic socialists and working-class voters; no separate factual claim needs checking.","sourceName":"[npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek) NAMES: Josh Turek = Democratic Senate candidate; Ashley Hinson = incumbent Rep","sourceUrl":"https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek","claim":"Democrat Josh Turek wins the Senate seat in Iowa - Democrat Josh Turek has defeated Sen. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, according to a race call by the Associated Press.","author":"NPR"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117852927238754398","name":"[texastribune.org](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/11/03/texas-bobby-pulido-monica-de-la-cruz-congress-district-15-elections-2026/) NAMES: Bobby Pulido = Teja","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@CNN"},{"url":"https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2117852438082285813","name":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = six-term Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = fo","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Fox News (@FoxNews)"},{"url":"https://x.com/CNN/status/2117853618812371442","name":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = Democratic ","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@CNN"},{"url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power","name":"[npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power) NAMES: None.","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"NPR"},{"url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek","name":"[npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-148956/iowa-senate-race-josh-turek) NAMES: Josh Turek = Democratic Senate candidate; Ashley Hinson = incumbent Rep","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"NPR"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793770947311-news-segment-tejano-star-flips-deep-red-texas-seat","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793770947311-news-segment-tejano-star-flips-deep-red-texas-seat","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793770947311-news-segment-tejano-star-flips-deep-red-texas-seat and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bella","text":"CNN is projecting a Tejano singer is about to flip one of the deepest-red House seats in Texas."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Bobby Pulido? The man behind half the quinceañera playlists in South Texas?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"The same. He's projected to beat two-term Republican Monica De La Cruz in the Fifteenth District."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That district was not supposed to be competitive. What happened?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"He ran as a conservative Democrat, kept some distance from the national party, and talked costs and immigration raids."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So voters picked a famous name over the incumbent. That's not exactly a policy revolution."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Maybe not, but when a heavily Hispanic border district moves that hard, it says something about anger over the raids."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Okay, that's fair. But I'd still say this is one celebrity, one district."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It's a Texas border seat Democrats have wanted for years. That matters."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It matters, but the Associated Press hasn't even called it yet. CNN is out ahead."},{"host":"Bella","text":"True. The count still has to confirm it."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So let's not start the celebration."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I wasn't dancing."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Fair enough."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Update on the Maine Senate race we had earlier: Fox and CNN now both project Democrat Troy Jackson has beaten Susan Collins."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's a six-term Republican senator going down."},{"host":"Bella","text":"If it holds, it's the seat that puts Democrats in control of the Senate."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And it's a big loss in a blue-leaning state Republicans kept finding ways to win."},{"host":"Bella","text":"No official certification yet, but two networks calling it is significant."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Speaking of the scoreboard, Politico has a theory about who had the worst night."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Let me guess: Elon Musk."},{"host":"Brian","text":"They claim he spent around four hundred forty-six million dollars on these races and his preferred candidates lost almost everywhere."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That number would be the most a non-candidate has ever spent, if it checks out."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And we can't confirm it independently. But the scoreboard is ugly."},{"host":"Bella","text":"So what did nearly half a billion dollars buy him?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Not a win. Maybe not even much influence."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I'd say it bought him a lot of attention and a lot of blame."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's too easy. Musk wasn't the only reason Republicans lost. Prices, Trump fatigue, bad candidate quality."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But when you put your name and your money into that many races, you don't get to hide from the result."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I'm not saying he gets to hide. I'm saying calling him the biggest loser is too online."},{"host":"Bella","text":"He owns the online. And he set a record for spending. That's not nothing."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Fine. The real story is money can't buy a wave when voters are angry about cost of living."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Exactly. So he's a symbol of the loss, not the entire cause."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I'll give you that."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But I still think the record spend makes him fair game."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Oh, come on. Everyone who donated is fair game. He just wrote the biggest check."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Fox also posted Trump saying he'll accept the midterm results."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's notable, after all the noise about rigged elections."},{"host":"Bella","text":"They quote him telling Bret Baier, \"Yes. Yeah, why wouldn't I?\""},{"host":"Brian","text":"Separately, he's blasting John Cornyn as disloyal."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The full quotes haven't been independently confirmed, but Fox is running them."},{"host":"Brian","text":"When the party's own president is settling scores on election night, it says a lot."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Different world entirely."},{"host":"Brian","text":"A post on X says the Guardian reports British and European peacekeepers could fire back if attacked in Ukraine after a ceasefire."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's a big shift if it's accurate."},{"host":"Brian","text":"The claim is an Anglo-French led stabilisation force would not rely on US systems."},{"host":"Bella","text":"We haven't been able to verify that yet, so treat it as a report."},{"host":"Brian","text":"But it matches where Europe's been heading: preparing to handle the ground."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And it raises the question—what happens when a peacekeeper fires back at Russian forces?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Then it isn't peacekeeping anymore. It's a combat patrol."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Exactly. That's the line NATO has to walk carefully."}]}