Voters on primary election day at West Gray Multi-Service Center on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Houston, TX.
Sharon Steinmann
The campaign battle between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton enters its final stretch on Monday as voters head to the polls for the start of early voting in the state’s primary runoff elections.
Republicans and Democrats will solidify their choices in several other races too, including for attorney general and a handful of U.S. House seats that could determine the balance of power in Congress.
Article continues below this ad
The races are likely to be decided by just a small pool of voters, with historical participation in runoffs reaching just a fraction of turnout in primary or general elections.
The winners will go on to the November general elections.
When can I vote?
Early voting will last just one week, from Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22, with no weekend hours.
Article continues below this ad
The election will take place on May 26, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Am I eligible to vote in the May runoff?
Any Texas resident who successfully registered to vote before April 27 is eligible to vote in the runoffs. You can check if your registration is active on the Secretary of State’s website.
Article continues below this ad
Voters must choose whether to participate in the Republican or Democratic primary runoff election. Those who participated in the March GOP primary can only vote in the Republican runoff, and the same is true for Democrats. Those who did not vote in the March primary can choose to vote in either runoff.
Who competes in the runoffs?
If no single candidate won at least 50% of the vote in the March primary election, the race goes to a runoff with the top two vote-getters advancing.
What are the key Republican races?
U.S. Senate: Incumbent John Cornyn is seeking to fight off a GOP primary challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton. Cornyn has spent millions on ads emphasizing the attorney general’s history of scandals, while Paxton is blasting the incumbent senator as out-of-touch with the party’s MAGA base.
Article continues below this ad
Attorney General: The race to replace Paxton as Texas’ top lawyer is also hotly contested. State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston took first place in March and is backed by Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, meanwhile, is backed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and many fellow House Republicans.
Railroad Commissioner: The chairman of Texas’ oil and gas agency, Jim Wright, is being challenged by Bo French, a far-right provocateur who has come under fire from fellow Republicans for incendiary social media posts. The race has also become a civil war between oil companies seeking to influence the agency’s regulatory practices.
U.S. House: There are also several important races for newly-drawn Texas congressional districts, two seats in Houston suburbs and another outside of San Antonio.
What are the key Democratic races?
Lieutenant Governor: State Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin and union representative Marcos Velez are competing to take on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November.
Article continues below this ad
Attorney General: State Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas came close to winning the March primary outright but was pushed into a runoff against second-place finisher, former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski.
U.S. House: Houston Democrats will decide between two sitting House members, U.S. Reps. Al Green and Christian Menefee, after the two were drawn into the same district during Texas’ 2025 redistricting efforts.
In North Texas, U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson is facing a challenge from former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who formerly represented the area in Congress but left to pursue a failed bid for U.S. Senate.