James Talarcio's victory Tuesday night sent shock waves across Texas and the country as part of a major string of victories for Democrats.

He campaigned on an economic populist message, while avoiding culture-war battles and talking points.

His efforts to paint the political divide in the U.S. as "not left versus right, but top versus bottom" appears to have appealed to those in Texas as he focused on the top issue of the election cycle: the cost of living.