AUSTIN, Texas (Gray DC) – By the end of the Texas primary race on Tuesday night, neither the Republican nor Democratic nominations for state’s U.S. Senate race had been determined.
On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will face state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a runoff after neither candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary. A third candidate, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), also appeared on the ballot. Texas Republicans will now have to return to the polls on May 26 to select their nominee for the November general election.
“Election returns are showing that Senator Cornyn is overperforming recent polling and expectations, and Corrupt Ken Paxton is underperforming. As Sen. Cornyn said tonight, ‘Judgment Day is coming for Ken Paxton.’” Andy Hemming, a campaign manager for Sen. Cornyn, said in a press release.
Paxton, speaking to supporters, said the race was about the next generation.
“For us, this is about saving America for the next generation,” he said.
The Democratic primary between state Rep. James Talarico and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) remains unresolved following a voting dispute in Dallas County. A change in voting rules left some voters confused about where to cast their ballots at Dallas County polling sites. A judge extended polling hours in the county by two hours, but the Texas Supreme Court blocked that order.
Crockett said the court’s intervention left the outcome uncertain.
“We will not know what votes are to be tallied from Election Day — and in Dallas County, for sure, we won’t know that tonight,” Crockett said.
At an event late on Tuesday night, Talarico said he still feels confident about the election.
“Tonight, our campaign is shocking the nation,” he said. “We are still waiting for an official call. But we are confident in this movement we’ve built together. Every vote must be counted. Every voice must be heard.”
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