by Cecilia Lenzen, Fort Worth Report
March 21, 2026

After the recent primaries, many Tarrant County residents head back to the voting booth as soon as April. 

This spring, Tarrant polls open for several elections, including runoffs for county, state and federal primary races; city council and school board seats; and city bonds and charter amendments. 

Elections officials recommend residents register to vote or double-check their status as soon as possible. An update to the state’s registration system led to a monthslong backlog of applications last year. Voters may check their registration status here. 

The Fort Worth Report’s Tarrant County Voter Guide features candidate questionnaires for those in primary runoffs. It will be updated with ballot break-downs and need-to-know information ahead of municipal elections. 

In the meantime, here are the dates to save in Tarrant County. 

Municipal elections

Residents across Tarrant County will elect new representatives, possibly amend their city’s governing documents and choose whether to spend millions of bond dollars on local infrastructure projects. 

Here are the dates to know: 

April 2: deadline to register to vote
April 20: state must receive applications for mail-in ballots
April 20-28: early voting
May 2: Election Day

Primary runoffs

The March 3 primaries determined Republican and Democratic nominees for county, state and federal offices before the November midterms. In races that saw no candidate win more than 50% of votes, the top two vote-getters face off again May 26. 

Voters may participate in only one party’s primary. Those who voted in March must vote in the same party during the runoffs. 

Here are the dates to know: 

April 27: deadline to register to vote 
May 15: state must receive applications for mail-in ballots
May 18-22: early voting 
May 26: Election Day

Here are the Tarrant County primary races headed to runoffs:

Democratic primary 

Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 2

Nonprofit executive Amanda Arizola is facing Jared Williams, former Fort Worth City Council member, in the race to represent the precinct that was significantly altered during last year’s high-profile redistricting. 

The winner will run against former state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, of Arlington, who won the Republican primary with 80% of votes. 

Texas House District 97

Career educator Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin and photographer Diane Symons are seeking the seat representing White Settlement, Benbrook, most of Crowley as well as western and southern portions of Fort Worth.

The winner will face incumbent John McQueeney, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary. 

Lieutenant Governor

State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, of Travis County`, is facing labor union leader Marcos Velez. 

The winner will face Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, who easily won the nomination with 85% of votes against three challengers. 

Attorney General 

State Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas County is in a runoff against Joe Jaworski, an attorney and former Galveston mayor, in the statewide race. 

The Republican primary is also going to a runoff. 

U.S. House District 24

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Kevin Burge and entrepreneur TJ Ware are seeking the seat that represents parts of Bedford, Colleyville, Euless, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Haltom City, Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, Roanoke, Southlake, Trophy Club, Watauga and Westlake. 

The winner will face Republican incumbent Beth Van Duyne, who ran unopposed in the primaries. 

Republican primary 

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3

Alison Fox, a Bexar County attorney, and Thomas Smith, a lawyer in the Texas attorney general’s office, are seeking the open Place 3 seat on the state’s highest court for criminal cases. 

The winner will face Dallas lawyer Okey Anyiam, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Railroad Commissioner

Bo French, former chairman of the Tarrant County GOP, is facing Jim Wright, a rancher and current member of the commission that oversees the state’s oil and gas supply. French earned 41% of Tarrant voters, while Wright got about 40% in the four-way race. Statewide, each candidate received about 32%. 

The winner will face state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, of Harris County, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. 

Attorney General 

Mayes Middleton, a state senator representing Galveston, and Chip Roy, a U.S. congressman representing Fredericksburg, are seeking the statewide seat. 

The Republican winner will face the winner of the Democratic runoff featuring Johnson and Jaworski. 

U.S. House District 30

Everett Jackson, a small business owner and community organizer, and Sholdon Daniels, a Dallas-based lawyer, are seeking to represent the district that includes parts of Arlington and Grand Prairie as well as much of southern Dallas County.

The winner will face Dallas pastor Frederick D. Haynes III, who beat two other candidates in the Democratic primary. 

U.S. Senator

Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will face off after knocking six other candidates out of the race. 

About 45% of Tarrant voters favored Cornyn in the first round of voting, while 38% chose Paxton. Statewide, the candidates were neck-and-neck, with 42% of votes for Cornyn and 41% for Paxton. 

The winner will face state Rep. James Talarico, of Round Rock, who won the Democratic primary over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. 

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org. 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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