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

State Rep. James Talarico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday night, ending an expensive and bitter contest and giving Democrats fresh hope of an upset in November. Speaking to supporters in Austin before the race was officially called, Talarico said the campaign was about more than winning: "We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it's working." He added that Texas "gave this country a little bit of hope."

On the Republican side, nothing was settled. Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a May 26 runoff, after neither reached the 50% needed to win outright. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third and conceded, but his presence in the race made a majority harder for anyone to reach. All three candidates ran on their ties to President Donald Trump, who made no endorsement. Cornyn and Paxton will now compete for it, and the runoff is expected to turn increasingly nasty.

Cornyn is seeking a fifth term and hopes to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek reelection and fail to be renominated. His cool relationship with Trump is part of what left him vulnerable. He and allied groups have spent at least $64 million on television advertising alone since July to stabilize his support. He 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," calling Paxton "a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate."

Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, spoke to supporters in Dallas. He said he felt as he did during a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate, and declared, "Texas is not for sale." He has drawn national attention for suing over Democratic initiatives and has stayed popular 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. They worry Paxton's liabilities would make the seat harder to defend and force spending that could be used elsewhere.

The Democratic race was a contrast in styles. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas. Crockett has a national profile built on sharp attacks against Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Both argued they were the stronger general election candidate in a state that backed Trump by almost 14 points in 2024 and has not elected a Democrat statewide in over 30 years. Democrats have not won a Senate race in Texas since 1988. Talarico outspent Crockett on television by more than four to one as of late February, and he got a boost in attention and donations last month when CBS declined to air his interview with Stephen Colbert, who said the network feared angering Trump's FCC. Voter Tanu Sani of Dallas chose Talarico because he "really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify." Tomas Sanchez, a Dallas County voter, backed Crockett because "she cares about immigrants."

Voting problems clouded the night. Polls stayed open longer in Dallas County and 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. should be kept separate. It was unclear how that would be carried out or how many eligible ballots remained in Dallas County, Crockett's home base. In Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said voters were still at 20 centers as of 10 p.m. Crockett's campaign said she planned to sue, and she said only briefly that "people have been disenfranchised."

Down the ballot, new district lines drawn by Republican lawmakers at Trump's urging reshaped several contests. Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who faced questions over an alleged affair with a staffer who later killed herself, goes to a runoff against gun maker and YouTuber Brandon Herrera in a district that includes Uvalde. Eric Flores, endorsed by Trump, beat former Rep. Mayra Flores for the nomination against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Former baseball star Mark Teixeira won the Republican primary to succeed Chip Roy, who advanced to a runoff against Mayes Middleton for attorney general. Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido won the Democratic nomination to face Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Gov. Greg Abbott won easily and will face state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.

The next things to watch are whether Trump endorses Cornyn or Paxton before May 26, and whether Crockett's lawsuit over the Dallas voting problems goes forward.