In the closing sprint of Texas’ Senate primary, candidates are swapping policy talk for paper plates, making a last-minute grab for votes over melted cheese and fryer grease.
Sen. John Cornyn’s supporters were treated last week to Mexican food at Serranos in South Austin.
U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt served up Zalat Pizza slices at Dallas County’s GOP headquarters and fans of Attorney General Ken Paxton munched on chicken tenders at Republic Icehouse in Tyler.
State Rep. James Talarico filled El Palacio Event Center in his hometown of Austin and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas packed Pure Social Bar & Grill in Richardson.
Political Points
The Lone Star Five have been crisscrossing the state, rallying the faithful and encouraging them to nudge friends, family and neighbors to cast ballots before early voting ends Friday.
Among the Republicans, Cornyn touts experience and results, Paxton promises unflinching MAGA combat and Hunt pitches generational change.
For the Democrats, Crockett calls for a fighter against President Donald Trump and Talarico preaches unity beyond the partisan divide.
While each party has its own flavor, some shared ingredients are shaping the finish to March 3. Here’s what’s cooking:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton waves during a campaign event at Matt’s Rancho Martinez, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Allen.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Money gap
Cash alone doesn’t guarantee victory, but it helps.
GOP financial firepower: Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, and his allies have a deep well of money. His opponents, not so much.
The Cornyn camp has spent tens of millions, so much so that Hunt likened it to a Powerball jackpot.
Cornyn has blanketed the airwaves with ads attacking his rivals and promoting himself as a staunch Trump ally and partner on border policy.
Cornyn’s principal campaign committee had nearly $5 million on hand as of Feb. 11, not counting a committee tied to Senate Republicans that can raise and spend far larger sums.
Paxton had more than $3.9 million and Hunt reported having $342,307 on hand.
Some Republicans have questioned whether so much money should go to Cornyn instead of supporting GOP candidates in Maine and other swing states.
Despite that, Cornyn backers keep pouring money into the matchup.
“We are committed to John and we will spend whatever we need to spend for him to be successful,” former Gov. Rick Perry said last week at Serranos.
Perry is connected to a significant fundraising coalition backing Cornyn.
Paxton said Cornyn’s money comes from “the D.C. establishment.”
“I’m not their person, and I will never be their person,” Paxton told supporters last week in Tyler. “I’m going to stay here and fight for you all.”
Blue side bankroll: On the Democratic side, Crockett ended the latest reporting period with nearly $3.5 million – less than her rival, which she said didn’t matter.
Massive fundraising is overrated, she said.
“The polling still has me ahead and we’ve been outspent 10 to 1,” Crockett said last week in Fort Worth.
“I believe in the rapport that I’ve established with people over the years. This isn’t about a single viral moment. This is about consistently fighting on behalf of the people and, ultimately, that’s what will win the day.”
Talarico’s campaign had nearly $4.8 million at the close of the most recent reporting period.
That tally was filed before a burst of online donations after an interview with Stephen Colbert that the late-night host said CBS attorneys would not allow him to air.
The segment was later posted online and quickly drew millions of views, giving Talarico fresh national exposure and a new fundraising hook.
CBS has disputed Colbert’s characterization of the decision.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, speaks during a meet and greet event to kick off early voting in the U.S. Senate Republican primary at Dallas County Republican Party headquarters, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Dallas .
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
The Trump test
Trump has become a looming issue in both primaries.
Split Democratic strategy: Crockett’s campaign launch video had her turning and defiantly staring down the camera as clips of Trump insulting her played in the background.
She regularly spotlights him on the trail, saying Texas needs a fighter to take on the president.
Talarico also has criticized Trump but said at the Austin rally he is running against a broader system that keeps Americans divided.
The tech and media moguls who joined Trump at his inauguration are using algorithms to keep Americans divided by party, race, gender and religion, he said, so they can keep fleecing them.
“It’s the reason you and your MAGA uncle … now live in completely separate realities,” he said. “Politics shouldn’t feel this way.”
It reflects his potential general election strategy of attracting crossover voters dissatisfied with Republican governance.
Crockett has taken a different approach. While she would like to have support from all voters, outreach to disillusioned Trump supporters or Republicans is not her focus.
“All we’ve ever needed to do was increase voter participation and voter turnout on our side,” she said.
GOP endorsement chase: The trio of Republicans have sought to position themselves as the biggest Trump allies.
In a state where Republicans have kept Democrats out of statewide office for three decades, each is jockeying for that prized endorsement.
So far, the president has held back, saying he likes all three men.
Paxton and Hunt have said Cornyn isn’t sufficiently MAGA while Cornyn has said he has a record of delivering for the president and Texas.
Supporters of primary candidate for U.S. Senate Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, smiles at supporters during a campaign event in Richardson, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
LM Otero / AP
November math
Candidates on both sides have been slugging it out over who’s the best bet in the fall election.
Republican electability fight: Cornyn has said nominating Paxton risks a GOP massacre because of his legal and personal liabilities.
Paxton has contended electability is a made-up issue raised by a “desperate” Cornyn.
“I’m very proud of my record, and I know that we can win,” Paxton said.
Hunt, the Houston congressman, has positioned himself as Trump-aligned without Paxton’s baggage.
Democrats’ case: Crockett touts experience as a civil rights lawyer, former state representative and sitting congresswoman and pushes back on critics who say she is too weak to win statewide.
“Until someone gives me something of substance, it’s more annoying and it’s noise,” she said.
A pro-Talarico super PAC has aired attacks suggesting Crockett would struggle in November.
Crockett has slammed the ads as racist and rejected the idea Republicans are rooting for her, noting Gov. Greg Abbott has been running ads attacking her.
“If I am the one that they really want to face, why would you spend money against me?” she said.
Talarico has said outside groups operate independently of his campaign and has emphasized that he is focused on his own campaign message.
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico speaks to supporters at his campaign event at El Palacio Event Center in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Mikala Compton / AP
Family feud
Both parties have left bruises they’ll need to heal ahead of November.
Democratic flare-up: A social media influencer accused Talarico of calling Colin Allred of Dallas a “mediocre Black man,” which Talarico disputed.
He said he was criticizing the former Dallas congressman’s lackluster campaigning, that he respects Allred and would never attack him on the basis of race.
Republican infighting: Cornyn’s tussle with Paxton and Hunt likely will go to a runoff. That means the primary’s top two finishers will continue to battle it out until late May.
Hunt and Paxton call Cornyn a Republican in name only, questioning his loyalty to Trump and his support of a gun safety law after the Uvalde school shooting.
Cornyn has defended the bipartisan gun law, has chided Hunt over missing votes in Washington and relentlessly trolled Paxton over his divorce, allegations of infidelity and issues surrounding his impeachment.
“Character matters and I think character is on the ballot,” Cornyn said.
Hunt pitches generational contrast and social media reach.
“John Cornyn ain’t on TikTok. Trust me,” Hunt said in Dallas.
He also dismissed Paxton as a career politician.
Paxton brushed off Hunt, saying that “my job was to take out Cornyn and let Wesley run his race.”
For Texans, early voting ends Friday, last call before the political buffet line becomes a ballot line on March 3.