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Tejano Star Flips Deep-Red Texas Seat

· Fact-checked before it aired. Unconfirmed claims from this segment are not shown.

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.

Voter 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.”

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.

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.

CNN projected the same Maine result as Fox News: Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins, giving Democrats a Senate pickup.

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.

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

Fact-check

VERIFIED 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.

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

Original post · @CNN

[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

VERIFIED TRUE

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.

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

Original post · Fox News (@FoxNews)

[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

VERIFIED TRUE

CNN projected the same Maine result as Fox News: Democrat Troy Jackson defeats Republican Susan Collins, giving Democrats a Senate pickup.

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

Original post · @CNN

[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/election-day-results-11-3-2026) NAMES: Susan Collins = Republican senator from Maine; Troy Jackson = Democratic

VERIFIED TRUE

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.

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.

Original post · NPR

[npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-149526/2026-midterms-congress-balance-of-power) NAMES: None.

VERIFIED TRUE

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.

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.

Original post · NPR

[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

Sources

What the hosts said

BCNN is projecting a Tejano singer is about to flip one of the deepest-red House seats in Texas.
BBobby Pulido? The man behind half the quinceañera playlists in South Texas?
BThe same. He's projected to beat two-term Republican Monica De La Cruz in the Fifteenth District.
BThat district was not supposed to be competitive. What happened?
BHe ran as a conservative Democrat, kept some distance from the national party, and talked costs and immigration raids.
BSo voters picked a famous name over the incumbent. That's not exactly a policy revolution.
BMaybe not, but when a heavily Hispanic border district moves that hard, it says something about anger over the raids.
BOkay, that's fair. But I'd still say this is one celebrity, one district.
BIt's a Texas border seat Democrats have wanted for years. That matters.
BIt matters, but the Associated Press hasn't even called it yet. CNN is out ahead.
BTrue. The count still has to confirm it.
BSo let's not start the celebration.
BI wasn't dancing.
BFair enough.
BUpdate on the Maine Senate race we had earlier: Fox and CNN now both project Democrat Troy Jackson has beaten Susan Collins.
BThat's a six-term Republican senator going down.
BIf it holds, it's the seat that puts Democrats in control of the Senate.
BAnd it's a big loss in a blue-leaning state Republicans kept finding ways to win.
BNo official certification yet, but two networks calling it is significant.
BSpeaking of the scoreboard, Politico has a theory about who had the worst night.
BLet me guess: Elon Musk.
BThey claim he spent around four hundred forty-six million dollars on these races and his preferred candidates lost almost everywhere.
BThat number would be the most a non-candidate has ever spent, if it checks out.
BAnd we can't confirm it independently. But the scoreboard is ugly.
BSo what did nearly half a billion dollars buy him?
BNot a win. Maybe not even much influence.
BI'd say it bought him a lot of attention and a lot of blame.
BThat's too easy. Musk wasn't the only reason Republicans lost. Prices, Trump fatigue, bad candidate quality.
BBut when you put your name and your money into that many races, you don't get to hide from the result.
BI'm not saying he gets to hide. I'm saying calling him the biggest loser is too online.
BHe owns the online. And he set a record for spending. That's not nothing.
BFine. The real story is money can't buy a wave when voters are angry about cost of living.
BExactly. So he's a symbol of the loss, not the entire cause.
BI'll give you that.
BBut I still think the record spend makes him fair game.
BOh, come on. Everyone who donated is fair game. He just wrote the biggest check.
BFox also posted Trump saying he'll accept the midterm results.
BThat's notable, after all the noise about rigged elections.
BThey quote him telling Bret Baier, "Yes. Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
BSeparately, he's blasting John Cornyn as disloyal.
BThe full quotes haven't been independently confirmed, but Fox is running them.
BWhen the party's own president is settling scores on election night, it says a lot.
BDifferent world entirely.
BA post on X says the Guardian reports British and European peacekeepers could fire back if attacked in Ukraine after a ceasefire.
BThat's a big shift if it's accurate.
BThe claim is an Anglo-French led stabilisation force would not rely on US systems.
BWe haven't been able to verify that yet, so treat it as a report.
BBut it matches where Europe's been heading: preparing to handle the ground.
BAnd it raises the question—what happens when a peacekeeper fires back at Russian forces?
BThen it isn't peacekeeping anymore. It's a combat patrol.
BExactly. That's the line NATO has to walk carefully.

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