The San Antonio Republican was pushed into a runoff in the primary for his border district. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members had called on him to exit the race.
President Donald Trump, who was neutral in the first round, said he would endorse “soon” in the runoff between Paxton and GOP incumbent John Cornyn and would expect the candidate he did not endorse to drop out.
Turnout in the Democratic primary outpaced that on the Republican side for the first time since 2020, a notable distinction given the draw of high-profile Senate primaries in both parties.
The president could scramble the traditional assumptions about a runoff if he carries out his promise to make an endorsement “soon” and urge whoever he snubs to drop out.
The president also said he would call on whomever he does not endorse to drop out of the race — though he did not specify whether he would back Cornyn or Paxton.
The Republican primary was upended in the final days by reports that Gonzales had an affair with a former aide who died last year after setting herself on fire. He'll face Herrera in a runoff for the second straight election.
The Austin Democrat’s win comes after a bitter primary that focused on which candidate’s political and electoral strategy would get the party’s first statewide victory in over 30 years.
While he has stayed out of some blockbuster contests, the president has otherwise spread his endorsement generously in Texas. The strategy has helped him form politically beneficial alliances in the past.
Follow The Texas Tribune’s coverage of election results for the 2026 primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Texas Legislature and more.
A super PAC supporting James Talarico is running ads online warning that the GOP is “boosting” Jasmine Crockett. Her spokesperson said Republicans “who underestimate her do so at their own peril.”
Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico face off in the state’s first blockbuster Democratic primary in decades. The race will likely conclude Tuesday, with the outside chance of a runoff.
Both parties are contemplating the notion of Brandon Herrera, a gun-loving YouTuber with a history of provocative comments, as the GOP nominee. Herrera says he can win in November.
The call gives Crockett a jolt of support from one of her party’s biggest stars in the home stretch of her Senate Democratic primary against state Rep. James Talarico.
Mayra Flores argues her “battle scars” make her the best bet to beat Democrat Vicente Gonzalez. Eric Flores says his opponent is a proven “loser” after back-to-back defeats.
In the Senate Democratic primary, Talarico has made his church’s ethos of compassion central to his campaign, while Jasmine Crockett is tapping into the civic power of Black churches.
On the Republican side, Ken Paxton and John Cornyn were neck-and-neck and in position for a runoff, according to the poll from the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project.
Turnout during the first week of early voting for the Texas midterm election exceeded the same period for the previous two presidential elections, years that typically see higher voter engagement.
The president’s visit could be heavy on political overtones, as he has endorsed dozens of Republicans in their March 3 congressional and legislative primaries.
Additionally, a police report shows that the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend.
The governor is supporting two U.S. House candidates whose opponents were recently endorsed by President Donald Trump, while his picks for comptroller and agriculture commissioner are trailing in the polls.
All four candidates are vying to prove they are the heir apparent to Paxton, who has solidified the office as a juggernaut in the conservative legal movement.
The former Texas governor chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, a group that has already spent almost $18 million boosting Cornyn against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
The effort is a partnership between the state party, two of its largest political organizations and the House Democrats’ campaign arm.
Voters statewide elect three justices to the new 15th Court of Appeals, created in 2023. Gov. Greg Abbott’s GOP appointees face their first election for six-year terms.
The criminal court decides death penalty case appeals and rules on petitions for those who believe they’ve been wrongfully detained. Here’s a look at who’s running for the court’s three seats on the 2026 ballot.
The letter says Herrera’s mailer depicting him next to the president “is inconsistent with President Trump’s unequivocal endorsement” of Rep. Tony Gonzales in the GOP primary for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
Ten Republicans, including Trump-endorsed attorney Chris Gober, are competing for the red-leaning 10th Congressional District in Central Texas.
The former Texas Rangers first baseman has poured $2.5 million of his own money into the race and recently scooped up the key endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s stunning upset victory is explained in part by the massive swing by Latino voters toward his campaign compared to other Democrats in recent elections.
The near-constant stream of takes from content creators has come to frame the primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico as a referendum on identity politics in the Democratic Party.
Cain, a state lawmaker, and Mealer, a former Harris County judge candidate, have consolidated much of the fundraising and endorsements in the 9th Congressional District’s Republican primary.
Allred also urged Democrats to vote for Talarico’s opponent, Jasmine Crockett. The former Dallas congressman was Talarico’s main rival in the Senate primary before dropping out the day Crockett entered the race.
Fresh off of a special election victory, Rep.-elect Christian Menefee now faces a primary with longtime Rep. Al Green and his runoff foe, Amanda Edwards, for a redrawn version of the district.
The General Land Office oversees investments that earn billions of dollars for public education, manages state lands, operates the Alamo and distributes benefits to Texas veterans. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries and where they stand.
Crockett raised about $2 million between her Dec. 8 campaign launch and year’s end, about one-third of Talarico’s haul over the first three weeks of his Senate bid.
Despite dominating the airwaves, Texas’ senior senator has been neck and neck with Attorney General Ken Paxton in public polling, both falling well short of the support needed to avoid a runoff.
After coming under fire for some earlier comments about Latinos, Crockett is working to narrow Democratic rival James Talarico’s lead among the key voting bloc.
The survey of likely Democratic voters suggests the March 3 primary is a toss-up less than three weeks out from early voting.
Two Democrats are competing to serve out the rest of Sylvester Turner’s term. The winner will have a two-week incumbency advantage before early voting begins in the March primary.
Among Texas congressional lawmakers, Johnson has made the second-highest number of trades, amassing a volume of $4.24 million.
While GOP lawmakers accused the Austin Democrat of overstating his role in passing a statewide cap on insulin copays, his Democratic colleagues said his personal battle with diabetes generated key momentum for the effort.
Agriculture is the second largest industry in Texas, which is home to more than 230,000 farms. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries to oversee the agriculture department and where they stand on the issues.
Facing state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Marcos Vélez has landed the Texas AFL-CIO’s endorsement and support from a donor trail that leads back to the state party’s top campaign partner.
Saturday’s debate, hosted by the Texas AFL-CIO, gives voters their first side-by-side glimpse of the candidates’ contrasting styles and proposals ahead of the March 3 primary.
The Houston Republican, who has missed 44 of 48 votes this month, said such absences are typical for those seeking higher office. Rep. Chip Roy, a candidate for Texas attorney general, has not missed any votes in 2026.
With Texas’ hardline conservative megadonors largely staying on the sidelines, a handful of House primaries have become battlegrounds for the state’s civil justice debate.
The once solidly blue 32nd District is considered the safest bet for Republicans out of the five Democratic seats targeted by the GOP’s new congressional gerrymander.
The spot, which describes the Austin Democrat’s work on education issues in the Legislature, will air this week in nearly a dozen of the state’s largest media markets.
The U.S. Postal Service warns it may not postmark mail the same day it takes possession of it. The deadline to register for the March 3 primary is Feb. 2.
The two Republicans are competing in a heated primary. Cornyn accused Paxton of abusing his office and legal experts said the AG’s legal opinion is not binding.
Abbott raised almost $23 million from July through December, while his leading Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, brought in $1.3 million in the last 10 weeks of 2025.
Texas’ Senate Republican primary, meanwhile, looks headed for a runoff. The survey found U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a dead heat against Attorney General Ken Paxton, with neither eclipsing 30%.
The Justice Department has asked states for their voter rolls with an eye toward purging ineligible voters. Democrats say sharing the data could violate federal election law.
The son of the late former Gov. Mark White had hoped to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott by running as a moderate, but failed to raise enough money to be competitive.
One candidate received about $1 million within an eight-day span from the head of a Dallas tax firm — and 72 of his employees — that helps corporations secure tax breaks under comptroller-run programs.
At least 10 Texas incumbents will not be returning to Congress next term, a high-water mark for turnover in the delegation.
Texans will elect a new attorney general next year for the first time in over a decade. The office handles legal matters impacting everyday life and, currently, plays a leading role in the conservative movement.
Texas’ entire House GOP delegation voted this week for a health care package that lets the tax credits lapse. They will be forced to vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies in January.
State Rep. James Talarico faces an uphill battle in his U.S. Senate bid while 15th Congressional hopeful Bobby Pulido aims to flip the district, but he must first win his primary.
The agreement comes after a judge put the Paxtons’ records under seal, prompting The Texas Tribune and other outlets to challenge the order.
Texas Majority PAC and the Texas Democratic Party recruited 104 candidates to fill uncontested races. Gov. Greg Abbott’s strategist said it amounts to a gimmick “if they don’t back it up with serious resources.”
Some county GOP officials said the president’s pardon could complicate their plans to unseat the Laredo Democrat in South Texas’ battleground 28th Congressional District.
Crockett had higher name recognition and an overwhelming edge among Black voters, while Talarico kept her margin to single digits through greater support among white and Latino voters.
Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish removed Commissioner Jason Corley from office this week, the latest twist in the Republicans’ fraught relationship.
Rep. Christina Morales, the new chair of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee, said she wants to initially target five GOP-controlled districts, with a broader list to come later.
Some Democrats dismissed the Dallas congresswoman as too polarizing to capture the swing voters needed to win. Others said her turnout-over-persuasion approach is the recipe to break through.
The Fort Worth congressman’s district was upended under the new GOP-friendly map approved this summer. He was expected to run for the district being vacated by Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Crockett, a second-term congresswoman, has skyrocketed to fame through viral spats with Republicans, becoming one of her party’s most prolific fundraisers.
The Austin Democrat said she wants to tackle waste and fraud as a watchdog over the state budget. She will retain her Senate seat if she loses.
The former Dallas congressman said he wanted to help his party avoid a runoff. In his campaign to return to the House, he will face U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, his successor in Congress.
The ruling is a major win for the Trump administration and Texas Republicans, who engineered the map to give the GOP control of 30 of the state’s 38 congressional districts.
Days out from the filing deadline, Cuellar has yet to draw a serious primary challenger — a sign that many in his party view the anti-abortion congressman as their best bet to stave off the GOP in November.
National GOP recruiters see Webb County’s top elected official as a promising candidate to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in 2026.
The Richmond Republican, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, made the announcement with days left before the deadline for candidates to file for the 2026 primaries.
Tano Tijerina, the top elected official in a county that includes Laredo, is expected to seek the GOP nomination in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, long held by Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
Judge Jeffrey Brown pointed to comments from the governor and GOP legislators as the basis for his ruling that the new map can’t be used in 2026.
With Texas’ new map blocked by a federal court, California Democrats are emerging victorious — though the Supreme Court has yet to weigh in.
Republicans who were planning to run for newly gerrymandered districts may have to reassess, while Democrats who were drawn out of their seats could suddenly have a path back to Congress.
The decision is a major blow for Republicans, in Texas and nationally, who pushed through the mid-decade redistricting at the behest of President Donald Trump. Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would appeal.
At the Texas Tribune Festival, Republican and Democratic candidates made their case for why they should be the state’s top lawyer.
French will face commission Chair Jim Wright in the Republican primary. The three-person panel is in charge of the agency that oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry.
The president praised Abbott for leading this year’s effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps to favor Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections.
The one-time congressman faces an uphill battle against Abbott, who has amassed a nearly $90 million war chest for his reelection campaign.
The veteran lawmaker whose current district was redrawn to benefit Republicans would face the winner of the 18th Congressional District special election runoff.
The president has sharpened his calls for Senate Republicans to kill the longstanding legislative maneuver, saying the GOP’s electoral success could hinge on it.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet came within three percentage points of winning Senate District 9 — which voted for Donald Trump by over 17 points in 2024 — over his two Republican opponents.