Texas primary election results for U.S. Senate, attorney general and more
Presented by
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization dedicated to helping you navigate Texas policy and politics — including the 2026 elections. Here are the results from the Texas 2026 primary election on March 3.
Texas voters chose party nominees for statewide seats, including U.S. Senate, and district-based congressional and legislative seats. Those nominees will face off in the general election in November. If no candidate in a primary election received a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters will go head-to-head in a runoff in May.
What you should know:
- Most polls in Texas close at 7 p.m. CST. Here’s our comprehensive list of resources that can help you cast your ballot.
- Here’s a roundup of five things we are watching on election day.
- Both U.S. Senate races have drawn national attention and cost millions of dollars. In the Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is in a heated race against state Rep. James Talarico.
- On the Republican side, incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn is being challenged by Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. Cornyn is one of the longest-serving senators in Texas history.
- President Donald Trump has issued an unprecedented number of endorsements in the GOP primaries, making this the biggest test of his intraparty strength in Texas yet.
- Results will begin coming in after polls close. Here’s more information on when races might be called. This can take time, as election officials must follow certain procedures to ensure votes are counted accurately.
How to read these results
If you share your address below, we’ll personalize the results for you by showing the races you get to vote in. (Don’t worry: We don’t store your information.)
Supported by
U.S. Senate
U.S. senators, along with U.S. representatives, are responsible for passing federal laws and an annual budget to fund the military and federal agencies. Senators also approve or reject treaties, heads of federal departments and federal judges, which have become increasingly important in deciding policy debates.
The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate will also be highly competitive with rising stars U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico facing off for their party’s nomination. Read our Q&As with the Democratic candidates for more information.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term and faces seven candidates in the Republican primary, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. Read our Q&As with the Republican candidates for more information.
Governor
The governor is the chief executive of Texas. In addition to leading the state and its military forces during emergencies, the governor holds power through influence and makes roughly 1,500 state appointments during a four-year term. The governor’s legislative powers include signing or vetoing bills and laying out emergency items for state lawmakers. Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking a fourth term and faces many Republican primary challengers. Many candidates are facing off in the Democratic primary, including state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. The seat has not been held by a Democrat since 1995.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Attorney General
The attorney general is the top lawyer in Texas, representing or defending the state in mostly civil litigation. The attorney general can bring forward or participate in lawsuits against the federal government, corporations or others on behalf of the public, as Paxton has done over immigration and abortion policies. The attorney general can also make legal interpretations and issue opinions on legal questions.
Paxton is forgoing reelection as attorney general because he is running for U.S. Senate. Four Republicans are running to succeed him: U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, state Sens. Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton, and Aaron Reitz, a former top DOJ official. Read our Q&As with the Republican candidates for more information.
In the Democratic primary, state Sen. Nathan Johnson is among the candidates. Read our Q&As with the Democratic candidates for more information.
Comptroller
The comptroller is responsible for managing the state’s money, collecting taxes, awarding state contracts, and forecasting the amount of money that’s available for the state’s budget. The comptroller’s office also holds tremendous authority over Texas’ new school voucher program, which will allow families to receive taxpayer money to cover their children’s private school or home-schooling costs.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Republican Kelly Hancock, a former state senator, became the acting comptroller in 2025 and is running to keep the position. He faces Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and former state Sen. Don Huffines in the Republican primary.
In the Democratic primary, current state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt is among the candidates vying for the party’s nomination.
Lieutenant Governor
The lieutenant governor is the second-highest executive in the state, presides over the state Senate and can heavily influence the state budget. The lieutenant governor is in charge of the Senate’s agenda and has final say when there’s a tie vote on a piece of legislation. This gives the office a lot of influence over which bills make it to the governor’s desk. Republican Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth term and faces three challengers in the primary. In the Democratic primary, there are three candidates, including state Rep. Vikki Goodwin.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Land Commissioner
The commissioner of the General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state land, including land used to help fund public education through the Permanent School Fund. The office also administers federal aid after natural disasters and manages the historic Alamo site. Under current Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, the office has acquired land for state-funded border wall construction. Buckingham, a former state senator, faces no Republican challengers.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Agriculture Commissioner
The agriculture department supports farmers and regulates the agriculture industry, which includes overseeing pesticide use, certifying organic produce and ensuring the accuracy of measuring devices found in grocery and retail stores. The agriculture commissioner also administers school lunch and other nutrition programs. Republican Sid Miller is seeking a fourth term and faces one primary challenger.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
U.S. House
Texas has 38 congressional seats, and all are up for election this year, with significant change coming to the delegation due to a large number of retirements and tough primaries. There are seven open seats—six Republican and one Democratic. Meanwhile, two Republicans are facing serious primary challenges from their right, and three Democrats are at risk of losing. And there are competitive primaries in the five seats represented by Democrats that the Legislature redrew to favor the GOP.
Railroad Commissioner
In Texas, the Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas production, including drilling permits and waste disposal through underground wells. It was originally established to regulate railroad tariffs, but railroads are now overseen by a division of the Texas Department of Transportation. Members of the three-person board are elected statewide. One seat is up for election in 2026. In the Republican primary, Commissioner Jim Wright is seeking his second term and faces several challengers. In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Jon Rosenthal is uncontested.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court is the state’s highest civil court and has decided on a wide-range of high-profile cases, including upholding the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors and rejecting a challenge to Texas’ abortion ban. Four of the nine seats on the Supreme Court, including chief justice, are up for election in 2026. Justices are elected statewide, and Republicans currently hold all the seats. All four Republican incumbents up for election face no challengers. In the Democratic primary, two races have more than one candidate.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state’s highest criminal court. In addition to hearing appeals from lower courts, the court hears all death penalty cases, as well as “habeas corpus” appeals from convicted felons who claim they were unlawfully punished or detained. The nine members are elected statewide and are currently all Republicans. Only three seats are up for election in 2026. In the Republican primary, incumbent Kevin Yeary is uncontested. Several new candidates are vying for the other seats, which are held by outgoing incumbents. All candidates in the Democratic primary are uncontested.
Read our candidate guide for more information.
State Board of Education
There are 15 districts within the State Board of Education, which sets curriculum standards and approves instructional materials for Texas public schools. The board also works closely with the Commissioner of Education and Texas Education Agency to develop policies and approve new charter schools. Eight district seats are up for election this year, including six currently held by Republicans and two by Democrats. Of those seats, four incumbents are seeking re-election. In the crowded Republican primary, only one race is uncontested: Julie Pickren faces no challengers.
Texas Senate
In the 31-member Texas Senate, only 16 seats are up for election in 2026. In addition to passing new laws and the state budget, the Texas Senate must confirm most appointments by the governor for boards and commissions. Two Republican incumbents who are seeking re-election face primary opponents: Bob Hall and Charles Schwertner. In the Democratic primary, only incumbent Judith Zaffirini faces a primary challenger.
Texas House
There are 150 members of the Texas House, the lower chamber of the Texas Legislature. The state Legislature meets every other year to pass a two-year state budget that funds public schools and state agencies and often includes other measures like lowering property taxes. State lawmakers can also pass new laws that affect Texans across the state or address the needs of residents in their district. Each state representative serves a two-year term.
What we’re seeing
Turnout in primary midterm elections has historically been low, with less than a quarter of registered voters casting ballots most years. The latest turnout data published by the Texas secretary of state shows that turnout was higher compared to 2024, with Democratic voter turnout outpacing Republican turnout.
Additionally, domestic mail-in ballots turned in and postmarked by election day are counted if the county received it by 5 p.m. on March 4. Mail-in ballots from military and overseas voters must be postmarked by election day and are accepted if they are received by March 11 . When races are close, mail-in voting can influence the results and extend the time it takes to call races. The certification of final election results will be completed by March 15 and released by the Secretary of State on March 25.
The Texas Tribune’s election data is provided by The Associated Press, which gathers voting information from the secretary of state’s office, county election sites and stringers on the ground in Texas. The AP calls winners and provides estimates on how many votes are left to be counted.
About the data
Election results data provided by The Associated Press.
Candidate information from the Texas secretary of state’s office, the Texas Democratic Party, the Republican Party of Texas and Texas Tribune research.
County shapes and city locations provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Road lines provided by Natural Earth.
Contributions by Carla Astudillo.
Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state, Theresa Boisseau, Santos Limon, Sylvia R. Garcia, Stuart Whitlow, Julie Johnson, Dayna Steele, Jan McDowell, Katherine Culbert, Pam Little, Merrie Fox, Gary VanDeaver, Jill Dutton, Kyle Biedermann, Erin Shank, Michelle Beckley, Walter Coppage, Stan Lambert, Norma Chávez, Yvonne Davis, Donna Howard, Terry Canales, Senfronia Thompson, Brooks Landgraf, Vikki Goodwin and Todd Hunter have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.