State Rep. James Talarico, a Texas Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks at the Texas Primary Election Night event at Emo’s Austin in Austin, Texas, USA, early Wednesday morning, March 4, 2026.
Jordan Vonderhaar | Bloomberg | Getty Images
State Rep. James Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and hotly contested Texas Senate Democratic primary, and the party is hoping for another November upset.
Who Talarico will face will be determined by a May runoff between longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA favorite Ken Paxton. The race is expected to become increasingly tense in the coming months and could hinge on whether President Donald Trump announces his support.
Texas, along with North Carolina and Arkansas, began midterm elections on Tuesday to contest control of Congress against the backdrop of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
“We are taking back Texas,” Talarico declared in a statement after his victory, although no Democrat has won a statewide election in a reliably Republican state in more than 30 years.
Crockett’s campaign said he plans to sue over voting issues in Dallas and warned that “people are being disenfranchised” in brief remarks Tuesday night.
Republicans move on to the second round
Meanwhile, Mr. Cornyn is seeking a fifth term, but faces a tough challenge from Mr. Paxton, the state attorney general. Cornyn hopes to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek re-election but not be re-elected.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks at a campaign rally in The Woodlands, Texas, on February 28, 2026.
Daniel Villasana | Getty Images
The Republican contest also featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who came in a close third place but conceded. But his three-way campaign has made it more difficult for any candidate to win the nomination outright and reach the 50% vote share needed to avoid a May 26 runoff.
All three campaigned by appealing to their ties to President Trump, but President Trump did not express his support during the campaign. Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Paxton will once again be in a fierce competition to curry favor with the president.
Mr. Cornyn faced such a tough battle that he did not hold an election night party. Instead, in comments to reporters in Austin, he sought to argue that a Paxton victory in the runoff would leave “a top priority for the Republican Party.”
“I have worked for decades to build the Republican Party here in Texas and across the country,” Cornyn said. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to jeopardize everything we have worked so hard to build over the years.”
Addressing supporters in Dallas, Paxton said he felt similar to a recent visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. He also declared, “We have proven in Washington something they will never understand.”
“Texas is not for sale,” he said.
Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Trump’s tepid relationship is part of what makes him so vulnerable. Since July, he and his allies have spent at least $64 million on television ads alone to stabilize support.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigns as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate at an event in Fort Worth, Texas on February 28, 2026.
Richard Rodriguez | Getty Images
Paxton only began his campaign in earnest last month, but he made national headlines after filing a lawsuit against Democratic efforts. He remained popular in Texas despite his impeachment trial and acquittal on corruption charges in 2023, as well as his wife’s accusations of infidelity.
Senate Republican leaders who support Mr. Cornyn are concerned that if Mr. Paxton becomes the nominee, his debt would make it difficult for him to defend his seat and require him to spend money that could be better spent elsewhere.
Confusion at some polling stations
In the Democratic camp, Crockett and Talarico each argued that they would be stronger general election candidates in 2024 in a state that favors Trump by about 14 percentage points.
Voting was extended in Dallas and Williamson counties outside of Austin after reports of voters being turned away from voting and directed to other precincts because of new preliminary rules. Paxton’s office later challenged the decision to extend the voting period, and the state Supreme Court ruled that ballots cast by people who didn’t get in line by 7 p.m. should be separated from others.
It was not immediately clear how the court action would be enforced or how many eligible votes remained to be counted in Dallas County, Crockett’s home state. Crockett said he will seek legal action after the vote closes.
And in Harris County, which includes Houston, there were still voters in 20 centers as of 10 p.m., a spokesperson said.
There was a noticeable clash of styles in the Democratic Party’s election campaign.
Crockett and Talarico engaged in a heated battle as Democrats sought to win the Texas Senate for the first time since 1988.
Crockett has gained national attention for his fierce attacks on Republicans and has focused on reaching out to black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico, a seminarian who frequently consults the Bible, held rallies throughout the state, including areas with large Republican populations.
“We’re not just trying to win elections,” a jubilant Talarico told Austin supporters before the race was called. “We’re fundamentally changing politics, and it’s working.”
Dallas voter Tanu Sani said she voted for Talarico because he “really spoke to us about his commitment to unity.”
Thomas Sanchez, a Dallas County voter, said he supported Crockett because “she cares about immigrants and she cares about the American people in a way that many Republicans have proven they don’t.”
As of the end of February, Talarico outspent Crockett’s TV advertising by more than 4 to 1. Last month, CBS’ decision not to air an interview with late night host Stephen Colbert brought him a sudden surge of attention and campaign donations. The station said it canceled the interview for fear of angering President Trump’s FCC.
Other major primaries
The Texas election also featured new congressional district lines that were redrawn by Republican lawmakers at President Trump’s request to elect more Republicans. The results matched several Democratic incumbents in the primaries and created a new battleground in the general election.
Former Republican congresswoman Myra Flores was looking to make a comeback, but lost her nomination battle against Democratic congressman Vicente Gonzalez to attorney Eric Flores, who was endorsed by President Trump. Mayra Flores made history as the first Republican to win the Rio Grande Valley in 150 years in a special election in 2022, but lost her bid for a full term later that year.
Incumbent Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw lost in the primary to state Representative Steve Toth, who was supported by Senator Ted Cruz.
Another incumbent Republican, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, was considered vulnerable because of an alleged affair with a staffer who committed suicide. He was challenged by gun manufacturer and YouTube influencer Brandon Herrera, who calls himself “the AK guy.” The two are headed to a 2022 runoff in the district that includes Uvalde, the site of the Robb Elementary School shooting.
Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira has won the Southwest Texas Republican primary to replace Republican Chip Roy.
Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner, defeated physician Ada Cuellar in the party’s South Texas primary. Mr. Pulido will face Republican Rep. Monica Dela Cruz (two-term).
In the Dallas suburbs, Democratic U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson was facing off against former NFL linebacker and 2024 Senate candidate Colin Allred.
Democratic Rep. Al Green was fighting to remain in office after his Houston-based district was elected to a Republican-leaning district. Greene, 78, will face Democratic Rep. Christian Menefe, 37, who won a special election in January for the current 18th District, in the newly drawn district.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily won the primary and will face Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Roy advanced to a primary runoff against Mayes Middleton for attorney general.
