Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Nomination; Cornyn and Paxton Head to May Runoff

On a night when Texas opened the 2026 midterm season, State Rep. James Talarico stood before supporters in Austin and declared victory in the Democratic Senate primary before the race had even been called. He had beaten U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in a contest that was expensive, bitter in places, and watched closely by a party that has not won a Senate seat in Texas since 1988. "We are not just trying to win an election," he told the crowd. "We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it's working."

The Republican side is not settled. Sen. John Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a May 26 runoff, because no one cleared the 50% threshold for an outright win. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third and conceded, but his presence in the race made it harder for anyone to reach that mark. All three candidates ran on their ties to President Donald Trump, who made no endorsement. Cornyn and Paxton will now compete for it. Cornyn is trying to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek reelection and not be renominated.

Cornyn held no election night party. He spoke to reporters in Austin and argued that a Paxton win would leave "a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans." He called Paxton a "flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate." Paxton, speaking to supporters in Dallas, said he felt the way he had on a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, and told the crowd, "Texas is not for sale."

Cornyn's cool relationship with Trump is part of what left him exposed. He and allied groups spent at least $64 million on television advertising alone since July to steady his support. Paxton only began campaigning in earnest last month. He has drawn national attention for suing over Democratic initiatives and has stayed popular in Texas despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in acquittal, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife. Senate Republican leaders back Cornyn and worry that Paxton would make the seat harder to defend and force spending better used elsewhere.

Election day itself was marred by confusion. Voting was extended in Dallas County and in Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters said they were turned away and sent to other precincts under new primary rules. Paxton's office challenged the extension, and the state Supreme Court ruled that ballots cast by people not in line by 7 p.m. must be kept separate. It was unclear how that would be carried out or how many eligible ballots remained uncounted in Dallas County, Crockett's home base. In Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said that as of 10 p.m. voters were still waiting at 20 centers. Crockett's campaign said she planned to sue, and she warned briefly that "people have been disenfranchised."

The Democratic contest was one of contrasting styles. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas. Crockett built a national profile on sharp attacks against Republicans and worked to turn out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico outspent her on television by more than four to one as of late February, and last month gained attention and donations when CBS declined to air his interview with Stephen Colbert, who said the network feared angering Trump's FCC. Dallas voter Tanu Sani chose Talarico because he "really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify," while Tomas Sanchez backed Crockett because "she cares about immigrants." Both candidates argued they were stronger for November in a state Trump won by almost 14 points in 2024, where no Democrat has won statewide in over 30 years.

Down-ballot results reflected new congressional maps that Republican lawmakers, urged on by Trump, redrew. Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Rep. Tony Gonzales and challenger Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTuber, head to a runoff in a district that includes Uvalde. Eric Flores, backed by Trump, beat former Rep. Mayra Flores for the right to face Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Former baseball star Mark Teixeira won the Republican nomination to succeed Chip Roy, and Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido won the Democratic nod to face Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Gov. Greg Abbott will face state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and Roy is in a runoff with Mayes Middleton for attorney general.

What to watch now: whether Trump endorses in the Cornyn-Paxton runoff, and whether Crockett's legal challenge over Dallas County voting changes anything.