What happened in the March 2026 Texas primary election

While not all races have been finalized, many marquee matchups have been decided in Tuesday’s Texas primary election.

In the primary election, voters decide the Republican and Democratic candidates who will be on the ballot in November’s general election. If one candidate doesn’t receive more than 50%, the top two vote-getting candidates advance to a Tuesday, May 26 runoff election.

Chaos in Dallas caused some races to be delayed.

The race at the top of all Texans’ ballots was U.S. Senate. Both Republican and Democratic primaries were hotly contested.

On the GOP side, incumbent John Cornyn and Ken Paxton are heading to a runoff on Tuesday, May 26.

In the Democratic primary, former San Antonio teacher/state Rep. James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett with 57% of votes.

The Associated Press called the race shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday, following chaos in Dallas County, the heart of Crockett’s congressional district.

Tuesday afternoon, hours before the polls were scheduled to close, a state district court judge in Dallas County issued an order extending the voting hours until 9 p.m.

Late Tuesday evening, the Texas Supreme Court paused the ruling and ordered that votes cast by Democrats between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. be set aside.

A legal challenge, possibly from the state’s Democratic Party, is expected to be taken up in court in the coming days.

Democratic voters there said they were turned away from polling sites after being told they could only cast their ballots at their assigned precinct.

Crockett briefly addressed supporters at her watch party in Dallas and said they would not have results Tuesday night.

A majority of supporters gathered at Emo’s in Austin left around 11 p.m. Tuesday without the person they were there to see, Talarico, taking the stage.

He did eventually address his supporters around midnight.

U.S. Senators are elected for six-year terms. All Texas voters will have this race on their ballot.

See the latest results below:

Bexar County Judge, DA

The headliner among Bexar County races was the county judge primary, where former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg (62%) declared an early victory over incumbent Peter Sakai (38%) in the Democratic primary race for Bexar County judge.

Nirenberg said he is “ready to get down to work” at his watch party at Backyard on Broadway Tuesday night.

“Obviously, we’ve got another campaign to run, a vigorous campaign for the November cycle, but I am going to start preparing to take the helm immediately,” Nirenberg said.

While a KSAT crew was at Sakai’s watch party at La Fonda Alamo Heights, a hush fell over the crowd of about 100 when the early election results came on screen.

In the open race for Bexar County District Attorney, Democrats battled out a race that was called early Wednesday.

Luz Elena Chapa led the race with 24% of the vote in the Democratic primary, with Jane Davis in second with 18%.

That means there will be a May 26 runoff for the top two Democratic candidates.

Ashley Foster is the lone Republican in the race and secured the party’s nomination Tuesday night. Jason Wolff will also mount a run in November as an independent, if he can receive enough signatures to make the ballot.

One of the most-watched U.S. House races in the country is Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which includes roughly 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, stretching from San Antonio to El Paso.

On the Republican side, Congressman Tony Gonzales faced a rematch against a popular YouTuber, Brandon Herrera. In the last election, Herrera took Gonzales to a runoff that ended with a roughly 400-vote difference.

It was close this time around, too. As of this writing, Gonzales had 43% while Herrera had 42%.

It’s almost certain Gonzales and Herrera will go to a runoff on May 26.

Herrera told KSAT he thinks his campaign had “a lot of advantages that we didn’t have last time.”

“I think that a lot people are looking for the office to have the same sort of integrity that it always needed to, and not only that, but somebody who actually represents the conservative voice of a very conservative district,” Herrera said.

Gonzales did not have a public watch party that KSAT was aware of. In an X post Monday night, he thanked President Donald Trump and supporters.

“Onward to a victorious May,” Gonzales wrote.

Katy Padilla Stout (53%) appears to have avoided a runoff against Santos Limon (26%) in the Democratic primary race. Bruce Richardson (12%) is in third place.

Padilla Stout said if she won the Democratic primary, she would immediately focus on the November election.

“If we were to win tonight, I think that that would send a very strong message that we’re ready for new leadership, we’re ready for new change, we’re ready for something different and we’re ready for somebody who can relate to the common everyday people that are here in District 23,” she told KSAT.

Despite a crowded field in both parties’ primaries, there is no runoff expected.

Mark Teixeira (61%) won the Republican primary for Texas’ 21st Congressional District, defeating other candidates by more than 50 percentage points with 94% of votes counted.

Kristin Hook (60%) defeated Regina Vanburg (28%) in the Democratic primary race, the Associated Press reported.

Only two people, Congressman Chip Roy and former Congressman Lamar Smith, have held this seat in the last 40 years.

That’s one reason Congressional District 21, which includes much of north San Antonio, some of Austin’s suburbs and parts of the Hill Country, has garnered attention this primary season.

Roy is leaving the U.S. House to make a run for the state AG’s office.

Texas Attorney General (Shelby Tauber For The Texas Tribune)

Congressman Chip Roy (32%) and state Sen. Mayes Middleton (39%) are advancing to a runoff for the Republican nomination for the state’s attorney general.

Meanwhile, Nathan Johnson (48%) and Joe Jaworski (27%) appear to be advancing to a runoff for the Democratic nomination for the state’s attorney general.

John Lujan (33%) are Carlos De La Cruz (27%) are headed to a runoff in the Republican primary race for Texas’ 35th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.

In the Democratic primary race, Maureen Galindo (29%) and Johnny Garcia (27%) are headed to a runoff, the Associated Press reported.

Congressional District 15Bobby Pulido is the projected winner in the democratic primary for U.S. Representative in Texas’ 15th district. (KSAT 12)

Tejano star Bobby Pulido won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative in Texas’ 15th Congressional District with 68% of the vote. He’ll face incumbent Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz in the November general election for the South Texas district.

State Rep. 118

Jorge Borrego wins the Republican primary for State Representative, Dist. 118 with 53% of the vote. He will face off against Democrat Kristian Carranza, who ran unopposed in the March primary, in the November general election.

State Rep. 125

Ricardo “Rick” Martinez won the Republican Primary for State Representative, Dist. 125 and now heads to the November general election. Democratic candidates Adrian Reyna and Michelle Barrientes Vela will head to the runoff election in May to decide the nominee for November.

Bexar County Court at Law #13

Alicia “Ali” Perez wins the Democratic nomination for Bexar Co. Court at Law #13. Perez wins the nomination over incumbent Rosie Speedlin Gonzales.

Elections

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What happened in the March 2026 Texas primary election

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