Election Takeaways From Texas

Texas is no stranger to election drama, and last night’s primary election was no exception.

After widespread reports of voter confusion in Dallas County, where voters had to cast their Election Day ballots at assigned precincts, a district judge approved a request from the Dallas Democratic Party to keep polls open until 9:00. However, that order was temporarily blocked by the Texas Supreme Court after a challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Speculation about those ramifications peppered election coverage throughout the lone star state as results started coming in. Paxton, who launched a bid against incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, advanced into a runoff with the senior senator. Another Republican challenger, Congressman Wesley Hunt, came in a distant third.

Most polls before election night showed Paxton leading Cornyn. With about 94 percent of votes tabulated, Cornyn held a slight edge at just over 1 percent. Speaking in front of his supporters, Cornyn struck a defiant tone about his Republican challenger. He called Paxton a “flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate.”

Paxton also offered his bold assessment of the race, vowing to win outright in the May 26 runoff. “We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you buy the seat,” he told supporters and media.

In the Democratic Senate primary, the dramatics were less theatrical. Just before 2:00 in the morning, the Associated Press called the race for James Talarico. On Wednesday morning, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett conceded to Talarico by calling and congratulating him.

“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett said in a statement about his victory. “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track.”

Notable Upsets

While most Trump-backed Republican candidates either won or headed into a runoff, one notable exception was Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who Trump endorsed last weekend. He has had a contentious tenure as Agriculture Commissioner, and Governor Abbott took the surprising move of endorsing first-time candidate Nate Sheets over the incumbent. Sheets handily defeated Miller.

Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who has served in Congress since 2019, lost his primary against State Rep. Steve Toth in the #TX2 congressional race. Ted Cruz recently came out against Crenshaw in support of Toth. 

Runoffs Aplenty

In Texas, candidates must clear a 50.1 percent threshold to avoid a runoff. In addition to the blockbuster race between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, the May 26 runoff will also feature a handful of big statewide and local match ups.

In the race to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton, Republicans and Democrats are headed into a runoff. On the Republican side, former state senator Mayes Middleton will face off against Congressman Chip Roy. On the Democratic side, state senator Nathan Johnson will go against former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski.

In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, Democrats Vicki Goodwin, a state representative, and labor leader Marcos Velez appear headed into a runoff.

Several congressional races in the state are headed into runoffs, as well. In the redrawn #TX18, former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee will face longtime Congressman Al Green, who was redistricted out of his previous district.

In North Texas, current Congresswoman Julie Johnson will enter a runoff into the redrawn #TX32 against previous member Colin Allred. Allred had been running for Senate but dropped out just before the deadline as Jasmine Crockett entered, opting instead to run in this new congressional seat.

And in south Texas, embattled congressman Tony Gonzales, who faced calls to resign over new revelations about an extramarital relationship with a staffer who died by suicide, will face a runoff against Brandon Herrera. On Wednesday morning, the House Ethics Committee announced they had launched into Gonzales's conduct.

The runoff election for the Texas primary is Tuesday, May 26. Early voting begins on Monday, May 18 and goes until Friday, May 22.