U.S. Senate Elections 2026

Joseph Locke, author of "One State Under God: A History of Religion in Texas," discusses how politics and religion have long been intertwined in the Lone Star state, why Talarico's messaging was so effective in the primary, and how it could impact the general Election in November.

Voter turnout in North Texas on Election Day for the primaries was up, largely due to Democratic voters.

Neither John Cornyn nor Ken Paxton cleared the 50% threshold in the Texas GOP Senate primary, forcing a costly runoff while Democratic nominee James Talarico gains additional time to campaign ahead of November.

Talarico, after winning a tight race against Crockett, is seeking to give Democrats their first win in a statewide election in more than 30 years.

The incumbent Cornyn, seeking a fifth term in Washington, drew primary challenges from the Texas AG Paxton and Houston Congressman Wesley Hunt.

Both Democratic candidates for Texas' U.S. Senate seat sat down with KERA hosts to talk about their legislating styles and their belief in winning a blue seat for the state.

From voter turnout to who Texas' U.S. Senate candidates will be, here's what voters should be keeping an eye on amid Tuesday's party primary elections.

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.

Stephen Colbert accused CBS of blocking an interview with Talarico from airing during his late-night broadcast on Monday. The interview, shared on YouTube, has millions of views and has allegedly resulted in millions of dollars in campaign contributions for Talarico.

Talarico, a Democratic candidate for one of Texas' U.S. Senate seats, was set to appear on "The Late Show" on Monday. Host Stephen Colbert lambasted the decision not to air the interview, which was shared on YouTube.

Sen. John Cornyn is seeking Texas Republicans’ nomination for a fifth term, in a contest that has seen bitter and expensive attacks on all sides. A new poll shows Texas Attorney General Paxton pulling away from Cornyn, but with no candidate leading by enough to avoid a runoff.

The survey findings released Monday come just eight days before the start of early voting.