James Talarico, who led Democratic upset in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, kicks off ‘SNL’

Days after winning a Texas U.S. Senate seat for Democrats, James Talarico turned up unannounced on "Saturday Night Live," joining the show's opening sketch on November 8, 2026. The state lawmaker and seminarian beat Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, and his victory is part of a broader Democratic night in which the party captured both chambers of Congress. Gina Hinojosa also unseated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas, NBC News reports.

The sketch had Kenan Thompson playing Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sarah Sherman as Sen. Chuck Schumer, toasting the results that put Jeffries in line to become House speaker in January. James Austin Johnson's President Donald Trump interrupted to claim credit, joking that his acceptance of the results was unnerving and that his next project was a ballroom. He also mentioned Talarico by a mocking nickname, "Talafreako."

The real Talarico then stepped in front of the impersonator to loud applause. Having run on fighting inequality of wealth and corruption in politics, he offered to work with the president for ordinary Americans, then joked that voters wanted a change from the show's opening sketches. Both ended by shouting the show's signature line.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →