James Talarico will soon address a crowd in Austin that can't quite seem to believe the political earthquake we've seen here tonight. As we wait for him to take the stage, I spot his parents front and center among the dozens of supporters who will flank him when he speaks publicly for the first time since he became senator-elect.

Kayla Guo covers state politics and government. Before joining the Tribune, she covered Congress for The New York Times as a reporting fellow based in Washington, D.C. Kayla has also covered transportation...