For the Texas Senate seats, Republican Sen. John Cornyn is in a primary runoff against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26. Cornyn led the March 3 primary 43% to 41%, but neither cleared the majority threshold. Trump has not endorsed either candidate. Democrats have not won statewide in Texas since 1994. Democratic state Rep. James Talarico won his party’s nomination over Rep. Jasmine Crockett. A March Impact Research poll showed Talarico leading Cornyn 43% to 41% and Paxton 44% to 43% among likely voters.
Browsing: election 2026
Texas voters turned out in historic numbers Tuesday, delivering victories for State Rep. James Talarico and forcing a runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s U.S. Senate contest that claimed national attention. The total early-voting turnout of more than 2.5 million marks the highest ever for a midterm primary election. The results also kicked off the 2026 midterm cycle.
Behind the scenes of Texas politics, statewide officials oversee the state’s finances, agriculture industry, energy regulation and highest criminal court. As the March 3 Republican primary approaches, voters face decisions in several contested races that will shape how Texas governs for years to come.
Early voting turnout for the 2026 Texas primary elections has surged to levels never before seen in a midterm cycle, with statewide total turnout on pace to more than double the figures recorded during the 2022 primaries.
At a Waco debate hosted by Those Meddling Kids, Democratic hopefuls J. Gordon Mitchell, Milah Flores and Casey Shepard sparred over policy, political pasts and what it would take to flip a longtime Republican seat.
Texas Democrats gathered in Waco on Saturday at the Performing Arts Community Center for a McLennan County Democratic Party candidate forum ahead of the March 3 primary. The group was optimistic about state races following decades of Republican dominance, focusing on public education, healthcare access and affordability.
