Overview
- Texas leads the first 2026 primary day alongside North Carolina and Arkansas, with voting underway and a likely May 26 Republican Senate runoff if no candidate tops 50 percent.
- Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt are battling for the GOP nomination as President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate.
- Democrats are choosing between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico after strong early turnout, including 220,284 Democratic to 126,513 Republican early votes in Harris County.
- AdImpact tallies roughly $122 million in ads, making the Texas Senate contest the most expensive Senate primary on record, as GOP leaders warn a Paxton nomination could jeopardize the seat in November.
- The primaries take place days after U.S. military action against Iran, while new GOP-drawn maps drive hard-fought Texas House races and El Paso officials report widespread voting-site technical issues.