Early voting results are beginning to come in across Texas as voters decide several high-profile runoff races ahead of November’s general election.
Texas voters are deciding party nominees for U.S. Senate, attorney general, lieutenant governor and railroad commissioner, along with several congressional and local races after no candidate secured a majority in the March primaries.
The runoff winners will advance to the November general election ballot, which will also include Texas’ gubernatorial race between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa.
- This story currently shows tabulations as of 8 p.m. and will be updated throughout the evening as additional election results are released.
Paxton beats Cornyn in Republican U.S. Senate runoff
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has won the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in one of the nation’s highest-profile Republican primaries. The Associated Press called the race for Paxton shortly after 8 p.m.
Paxton framed himself as a more hardline conservative closely aligned with President Donald Trump, who endorsed him last week. Cornyn, who’s represented Texas in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades, campaigned on his experience and conservative record in Washington.
As of 8 p.m., Paxton was leading with about 62% of the vote, compared to roughly 37% for Cornyn. More than 671,000 Texans cast early ballots in the race, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State.
The winner will move on to face Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.
Attorney General of Texas
Texas voters are also deciding who will become their parties’ nominees for attorney general, the state’s top lawyer and chief legal representative.
In the Republican attorney general runoff, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and state Sen. Mayes Middleton are competing to replace Paxton after he decided to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking reelection. The race has largely focused on which candidate was more closely aligned with President Trump.
As of 8 p.m., Middleton was leading with 56% of the vote.
On the Democratic side, voters are choosing between state Sen. Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. Johnson has emphasized his experience in the Legislature, while Jaworski has focused on energizing progressive voters.
As of 8 p.m., Johnson was leading with about 60%.
Lieutenant Governor
Democratic voters are choosing between state Rep. Vikki Goodwin and labor organizer Marcos Vélez in the runoff for lieutenant governor, one of the most powerful positions in Texas government. The office oversees the state Senate and helps shape the Legislature’s agenda.
As of 8 p.m., voting results showed Goodwin with 68% of the vote.
The winner will advance to November’s general election to face incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has held the office for more than a decade and easily won his primary earlier this year.
Railroad Commissioner
Republicans are also deciding a runoff for Texas railroad commissioner, the statewide office with a misleading name that regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry.
Incumbent Jim Wright faces former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French in the Republican runoff. As of 8 p.m., French was ahead with 52% of the vote.
Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas voters are also deciding several runoff races for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest court for criminal cases.
The court handles appeals in criminal cases across Texas, including death penalty appeals and petitions from people challenging felony convictions. Its rulings can shape how criminal laws are interpreted statewide and often carry major implications for issues like voting rights, prosecutorial authority and the death penalty.
Several Republican and Democratic primary runoff contests for the court are on Tuesday’s ballot, with the winners advancing to the general election in November.
