得克萨斯州奥斯汀 —— 随着民主党的“蓝色浪潮”开始冲击得克萨斯州，一生都投民主党票的得州人理查德·托雷斯（Richard Torres）一直盯着周围记者屏幕上不断涌入的结果。
AUSTIN, Texas — As the Democrats’ blue wave began to slam into Texas, Richard Torres, a Texan who has voted blue his entire life, kept peering at the results pouring in on reporters’ screens all around him.
当宣布得州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科（James Talarico）击败肯·帕克斯顿（Ken Paxton）时，他坐下来消化这个消息。托雷斯曾任威廉森县民主党主席，塔拉里科在得州朗德罗克（Round Rock）长大并就读高中，该地属于威廉森县。他从未想过得州共和党会被即将到来的蓝色浪潮冲垮。
And when it was announced Texas state Rep. James Talarico had toppled Ken Paxton, he sat down to take it in. Torres was the former chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party, where Talarico grew up and attended high school in Round Rock, Texas. He never thought that Texas Republicans would be swept away by the oncoming blue wave.
“我们开始看到一些变化，但不是我们今晚预期的那样，”托雷斯对福克斯新闻数字版（Fox News Digital）说。“我们今晚没预料到这种情况。”当被问及为何像孤星州这样深红的据点会如此迅速地变蓝时，托雷斯表示，这始于总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump），并应向全州的共和党候选人和官员传递一个信息。
"We started seeing some changes, but not what we expected tonight," Torres told Fox News Digital. "We didn't expect this tonight." When asked why a deep-red stronghold like the Lone Star State had become so rapidly blue, Torres said that it started at the top with President Donald Trump and should serve as a message to GOP candidates and officials across the state.
“我认为这传递了一个信息，即他们走错了路，而且已经有一段时间了，但他们不愿接受我们对总统存在的问题，”托雷斯说。“他们完全支持他。我不知道为什么。”“但他们看不到我们因战争等事件在这个国家面临的问题，”他继续说道。“他们似乎只是在这方面支持他。这是一场针对特朗普的公投。”塔拉里科和其他几位民主党候选人，包括当选州长吉娜·伊诺霍萨（Gina Hinojosa），打破了共和党对得州的控制，随着共和党在两院的多数席位周二晚迅速消失，这给国会共和党人造成了沉重打击。
"I think it sends a message that they're on the wrong track, and they've been for a while, but they won't accept the problems we have with the president," Torres said. "They're totally supporting him. I don't know why." "But they don't see the problems that we're having in this country with all the things that have happened with the war going on and things of this type," he continued. "And they just seem to support him on it. This is a referendum against Trump." Talarico and several other Democratic candidates, including Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, shattered the GOP’s grip on Texas, serving Republicans in Congress a stiff blow as their majorities in both chambers rapidly evaporated Tuesday night.
这位即将就职的议员不仅仅是险胜得州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿。他以超过12个百分点、即超过100万票的优势击败了这位特朗普背书的候选人——后者并非华盛顿共和党的首选——而在特朗普2024年在该州以近14个百分点获胜的背景下。
And the incoming lawmaker didn’t just squeak by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He beat the Trump-backed candidate, who was not the first choice of Republicans in Washington, by over 12 percentage points, or well over 1 million votes, in a state that Trump won in 2024 by nearly 14 points.
为了赢得这场胜利，塔拉里科需要争取得克萨斯州的共和党人和民主党人。其中一位共和党人詹姆斯告诉福克斯新闻数字版，他一直投共和党的票，直到这次选举。
To secure that win, Talarico needed to capture Republicans and Democrats in Texas. One of those Republicans, James, told Fox News Digital that he had always voted for the GOP until this election.
“我一辈子都是共和党人，但今年我要投民主党的票，因为我认为我们需要这样做，”詹姆斯说。“我相信共和党已经迷失了方向。”虽然观选派对上的乐观情绪显而易见，无论是震耳欲聋的音乐，还是六个多流动酒吧前排起的长龙，但一些选民心中仍存有一丝谨慎的焦虑。
"I've been a Republican my whole life, but I'm voting Democratic this year because I think we need to," James said. "The Republicans have lost their way, I believe." While the optimism at the watch party was palpable, be it through the pumping music or over half a dozen mobile bars with lines dozens of people deep, there was still a cautious anxiety among some voters.
尤其是在2018年民主党曾离翻转该参议院席位如此之近之后——当时前得克萨斯州众议员贝托·奥罗克让联邦参议员、共和党籍的特德·克鲁兹吃尽了苦头。奥罗克最终以约两个百分点之差落败，但那种由狂喜转为心碎的经历，得克萨斯州的民主党选民至今难忘。
Particularly after Democrats had gotten so close to flipping the Senate seat before in 2018, when former Texas state Rep. Beto O’Rourke gave Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a run for his money. O’Rourke would end up losing by roughly two points, but the exuberance that turned to heartbreak wasn’t soon forgotten by the Lone Star State’s Democratic voters.
随着计票结果陆续出炉，人群的情绪开始高涨。另一位资深得州居民兼选民贝弗利表示，周二晚上的意义已超越得克萨斯州。
As results began to roll in and the crowd’s energy began to explode, Beverly, another longtime Texas resident and voter, said Tuesday night was bigger than Texas.
“感觉这关乎整个美国的‘现在或永不’时刻，”她说。“我们要么扭转局势，要么干脆彻底告别一切。”
"This feels like a now or never moment in the entire United States," she said. "We either turn things around or we might as well kiss it all goodbye."