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Top Stories: Making Sense Of A Busy Primary Election Night

Gabriel C. Perez
/
KUT News

The top local stories this evening from KERA News:

Democrats in Texas turned out Tuesday in the largest numbers in more than two decades for a midterm primary. More than one million voters cast ballots in Democratic primaries across the state.

Republicans also set a new non-presidential year primary turnout record, exceeding 1.5 million votes.

Other stories this evening:

  • To no one's surprise, incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott won the Republican party's nomination for another term. Still undecided, though, is which Democrat will take him on in November. Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White face a runoff in May. Our reporters caught up with White and Valdez last night.

  • Now to the Texas State Senate. In Collin County, Angela Paxton defeated Phillip Huffines in the Republican bid for State Senate District 8. KERA’s Stella Chavez reports the race was the most expensive ever for a state Senate primary and among the most heated.

  • Several Congressional candidates in Texas are heading to May runoffs. In the 32nd District, Colin Allred will face Lillian Salerno for the Democratic nomination. The winner faces Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in November. Meanwhile, in the 6th District, Republicans Ron Wright and Jake Ellzey will go head to head in a runoff, and so will Republicans Lance Gooden and Bunni Pounds in the 5th District. KERA’s Stephanie Kuo breaks down why there are so many runoffs this election cycle.

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.

Gus Contreras is a digital producer and reporter at KERA News. Gus produces the local All Things Considered segment and reports on a variety of topics from, sports to immigration. He was an intern and production assistant for All Things Considered in Washington D.C.