The Votes Are In For Texas’ Hotly Contested Elections

Texas voters kicked off the 2026 midterm election season Tuesday night with a series of high-stakes primary battles that are already sending shockwaves through both parties.

The biggest fight of the night centered on the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, where longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) faced the toughest challenge of his career from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) also joined the crowded GOP field, but early returns quickly made clear the race would come down to the two heavyweights.

By late evening, election analysts projected that Cornyn and Paxton would advance to a runoff election in May after neither candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote. The final order of finish remains significant, however, as the top spot could influence whether former President Donald Trump decides to weigh in with an endorsement ahead of the runoff.

Despite Cornyn and his allies pouring massive resources into the race—reportedly spending about $69 million compared to just $4 million backing Paxton—the Texas attorney general remained competitive throughout the night and steadily closed the gap as more votes were counted.

The race has drawn national attention from Republican leaders in Washington who fear Paxton could be a weaker candidate in a general election. Some establishment figures worry that nominating Paxton could put Texas unexpectedly in play for Democrats in November. Paxton’s supporters reject that argument, pointing to his history of winning multiple statewide elections and surviving political attacks, including an impeachment push, while maintaining strong support among conservative voters.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary in Texas also delivered a dramatic finish.

The contest had been widely viewed as a proxy battle between two major factions inside the Democratic Party. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who had backing from former Vice President Kamala Harris, faced off against Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who had the support of allies tied to former President Barack Obama.

For much of the race, Crockett appeared to hold a modest lead in polling. But late spending by major donors backing Talarico—reportedly outspending Crockett’s side by roughly $24.5 million to $5 million on advertising—helped fuel a late surge.