AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) – Texas Republicans and Democrats chose their nominees for a slate of statewide offices Tuesday, with Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick easily dispatching their Republican challengers while two of the ballot’s most competitive races — attorney general and comptroller — appeared headed to May runoffs.
The March 3 primary was the first major test of the 2026 midterm cycle, setting the stage for November general election matchups across the Lone Star State. Under Texas law, candidates must win a majority of the vote to avoid a runoff. Any top-two finishers who fall short will meet again on May 26.
Governor
Republican Primary
Abbott cruised to a projected fourth-term nomination, capturing approximately 82.6% of the vote against 10 challengers — a dominant performance that underscored his continued grip on the Texas GOP.
Abbott’s Republican challengers included Pete Chambers, who finished second with roughly 10.7% of the vote, and Evelyn Brooks, who drew about 1.95% of the vote.
If Abbott wins in November, he would surpass Rick Perry’s record as the longest-serving governor in Texas history.
Democratic Primary
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin won the Democratic nomination outright, capturing approximately 61.13% of the vote in a crowded field.
Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell finished second with about 9.7%, followed by Angela Villescaz at roughly 5.9%. Other candidates in the Democratic field included Bobby Cole, Patricia Abrego and Benjamin Flores.
Hinojosa, a five-term Austin Democrat and civil rights attorney, built her campaign around opposition to Abbott’s school voucher program and what she described as the influence of “billionaires and corporate interests” in state government.
Democrats have not won a statewide office in Texas since 1994.
Lieutenant Governor
Republican Primary
Patrick, the powerful presiding officer of the Texas Senate, won his fourth-term Republican nomination by a wide margin, capturing approximately 85.75% of the vote.
Patrick’s three Republican challengers — Esala Wueschner, Timothy Mabry and Perla Hopkins — combined for less than 15% of the vote. Mabry drew about 8.43% while Hopkins received roughly 4.67%.
Democratic Primary
The Democratic race for lieutenant governor was too close to call as of Tuesday night, with state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin leading with approximately 48.69%.
Marcos Velez trailed with 31.97%, and Courtney Head drew 19.33%. If Goodwin falls short of 50%, she and Velez would advance to the May 26 runoff.
Goodwin gave up a safe Austin-area House seat to challenge Patrick, who won reelection in 2022 by 10 percentage points and entered the 2026 race with more than $37 million in his campaign account.
Attorney General
The Republican primary to succeed outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton, who left the office to run for U.S. Senate, appeared headed to a runoff.
Republican Primary
State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston led the four-person Republican field with approximately 41.12%. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin finished second with about 30.35%.
State Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston and Aaron Reitz, a former top official at the U.S. Department of Justice, also competed in the primary. Reitz was endorsed by Paxton, who called him his chosen successor.
Middleton, an oil and gas executive who poured nearly $12 million of his own money into the race, ran as “MAGA Mayes” and campaigned on a platform of aggressive conservative litigation. Roy, a fourth-term congressman from Austin who previously served as Paxton’s top deputy, positioned himself as the most experienced candidate in the field.
Huffman, a former prosecutor and criminal district court judge, ran on a message of legal experience over political bombast. Reitz pledged to “turn it up to 11” on Paxton’s legacy of conservative legal activism.
Barring a late surge in uncounted votes, Middleton and Roy are expected to meet in the May 26 runoff.
Democratic Primary
Dallas state Sen. Nathan Johnson led the Democratic field with approximately 46.82%, enough to potentially win the nomination outright. Former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski finished second with about 28.22%, and attorney and former FBI agent Tony Box drew roughly 24.96%.
The Democratic nominee will face a steep climb in November. No Democrat has won the Texas attorney general’s office since 1994.
Comptroller
The Republican primary for comptroller — the state’s top financial officer — was one of the most closely watched and expensive down-ballot races of the cycle, pitting an Abbott-backed incumbent against a Trump-endorsed challenger.
Republican Primary
Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, a former state senator appointed to the role by Abbott in 2025, faced former state Sen. Don Huffines, Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and Michael Berlanga in the Republican primary. Huffines recieved 58.08% of the vote, and Hancock recieved 22.98%.
The race drew national attention days before the election when President Donald Trump endorsed Huffines in a Truth Social post, directly countering Abbott’s backing of Hancock. Abbott had invested $2.6 million in campaign ads supporting Hancock and made the comptroller race a personal priority, given the office’s role in implementing the state’s $1 billion school voucher program.
Democratic Primary
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt was the most prominent of the Democratic candidates seeking the party’s nomination for comptroller with 65.43% of the vote.
What’s Next
Any race in which no candidate received a majority of the vote will advance to a May 26 runoff. The Republican attorney general primary was confirmed to be heading to a runoff between Middleton and Roy. The comptroller race and the Democratic lieutenant governor primary were still being resolved as of Tuesday night.
All primary winners will face off in the Nov. 3 general election.
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