Texas voters picked who from the two major political parties would advance to the November midterm elections in primary elections on Tuesday. 

The elections showed a strong voter turnout, especially for Travis County, which had its highest primary turnout in almost two decades. Winners of the night included Austin state Reps. Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico, and incumbents Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov Dan Patrick. Many elections, such as the Republican U.S. Senate race, are heading to a runoff in May.

U.S. Senator

After a competitive race that has gained national attention, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn will head to a runoff for one of Texas’s U.S. Senate seats. The winner will face state Rep. James Talarico, who defeated U.S. Rep Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, according to a projection from the Associated Press. 

Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002, has supported bipartisan legislative efforts and occasionally criticized President Donald Trump. His legislative priorities include tax cuts, improving school security and reimbursing states like Texas for their work to secure the southern border. 

Although Cornyn has highlighted support for Trump throughout his campaign, Paxton has criticized him for “betraying President Trump,” presenting himself as a stronger conservative fighter.

Paxton said it was “time for a change in Texas” on Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s show. He hopes to “take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment,” according to his campaign website. 

Paxton and Cornyn were pushed into a runoff by the presence of U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston.

Talarico, who is currently serving his fourth term in the Texas House of Representatives, is running on a platform of passing comprehensive immigration reform, fighting private school vouchers and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. 

Talarico won over Crockett, who has served in Congress since 2023 and previously served in the state legislature. Crockett was running on a platform of making home ownership more affordable, increasing food security and supporting Texas agriculture. 

A Dallas judge ruled Dallas County polls had to remain open until 9 p.m., but the Texas Supreme Court overturned the ruling and demanded the county separate the votes from people who were not in line before 7 p.m. These votes were ruled as provisional ballots, which record the vote of someone whose voter eligibility is in question.

Crockett told her supporters that they “would not have election results tonight” if these ballots were not counted, according to reporting from NBC.

U.S. Representative, District 37

Greg Casar won the Democratic nomination for House District 37. Casar previously served as the representative for a San Antonio and Austin-area district, but decided to run for the seat that covers UT after the state drew a new congressional map. 

Governor

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, secured the Democratic nomination for governor and will face Abbott in November. 

Hinojosa, who has represented UT’s district in the Texas House of Representatives for five terms, is running on a platform of increasing access to healthcare, making Texas more affordable and supporting public schools.

“Tonight, working Texans sent a clear message: they’re ready for change,” said Hinojosa in a statement. “We are going to run full speed into November, because working families in this state deserve a governor who works just as hard as they do.”

Hinojosa is up against Abbott, who is running for his fourth term as governor. If he completes a full fourth term, he will become the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

“Tonight’s primary victory is a clear sign that strong, conservative leadership continues to earn the trust of Texans across the state,” said Abbott in an Instagram caption. 

Hinojosa will not be the only UT representative on the ballot in November, as State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt won the Democratic primary for Texas Comptroller.

Lt. Governor

As of time of writing, Representative Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, leads Marcos Velez, but has not earned the majority of votes required to avoid a May runoff. The winner of the prospective runoff would face Incumbent Patrick in November.

Goodwin is serving her fourth term as a state representative and is focusing her campaign on public education, housing affordability, healthcare and access to clean water and energy. Velez, a member of the United Steelworkers, launched his first political campaign at age 40, planning to protect Texas Seniors, raise wages and stand up for rural Texas.

Patrick, who is running for his fourth term as lieutenant governor, recently released his legislative priorities for the upcoming 2027 legislative session. These priorities include “preventing Sharia law” and reducing property taxes. 

Attorney General

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, and state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, will compete in a May runoff for the Republican Attorney General nomination. State Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, leads Joe Jaworski, former mayor of Galveston, but has not earned the majority of votes required to avoid a May runoff.

Roy, who has served in Congress since 2018, came under criticism from President Donald Trump back in May after failing to immediately support the One Big Beautiful Bill Act due to the bill’s large spending. Roy later voted for the bill, but not without what he described as “significant reservations.”

Middleton, who is also president of an independent oil and gas company, was a co-author of Texas Senate Bill 8, or the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which barred transgender people from using their preferred bathrooms, which passed in Sept. 2025.

Jaworski previously sued the University of Texas System for closing the UT Medical Branch at Galveston. During his time in the state senate, Johnson authored legislation about young people’s health and voted in favor of the Campus Protection Act, which restricted free speech on college campuses.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.