In this episode of The Texan Explains, Senior Audio Producer Natalie Gonzalez discusses the results of the 2026 Texas primary elections and what they mean for major statewide races.

Hosted and produced by Natalie Gonzalez. Reported by Kendall Meachum and Ashley Paredes of The Daily Texan news department. Cover photo by General Photographer Allie Castaneda. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

*Intro Music*

Natalie Gonzalez: The Texas primary election was held on March 3. I’m your host, Natalie Gonzalez, and this is The Texan Explains. Here’s what you need to know on the election and what it means.

Gonzalez: The Texas primaries are statewide elections where voters choose which candidates will represent each political party on the November ballot. Texans vote in races for governor, attorney general, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and many legislative and county offices.

This voting shapes the political landscape across the state for years to come. These primaries also include party propositions, which don’t create laws but signal what policy priorities party leaders should pursue next.

Because Texas uses an open primary system, any voter can choose to participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary and candidates must earn more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.

Gonzalez: According to unofficial numbers from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 4.5 million Texans participated in the Democratic and Republican primaries. Let’s look at some of the major statewide races.

For the Democratic Senate Primary, James Talarico, a state representative known for his progressive platform, won against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a well-known congresswoman. Talarico won with about 53% of the vote according, to Associated Press.

The Republican Senate primary is headed to a runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton after neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote. Talarico will face the winner of that runoff in the general election this fall.

Gov. Greg Abbot, the current governor of Texas, won renomination for the Republican party. Gina Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative, won the Democratic primary for Texas governor against Chris Bell, a Houston Democrat and former U.S. congressman.

Since Gina Hinojosa won the Democratic primary for Texas governor, she will run in the general election against Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for his fourth term.

Gonzalez: In the Republican Party for Texas attorney general, candidates Mayes Middleton, state senator, and Chip Roy, U.S. representative, advanced to a runoff.

In the Democratic primary for Texas attorney general, no candidate won a majority of the vote. That means the race is also headed to a runoff between Sen. Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.

Republican incumbent Sid Miller, who was seeking a fourth term as Texas Agriculture Commissioner, lost his renomination bid in the GOP primary to challenger Nate Sheets, a first‑time political candidate. Sheets will head to the election this fall against Democrat Clayton Tucker.

Greg Casar won the Democratic nomination for House District 37, the district that includes UT Austin. In the race for lieutenant governor, Rep. Vikki Goodwin is leading Marcos Velez, but she has not secured the majority needed to avoid a May runoff. The winner of that runoff will go on to face incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the general election.

As a reminder, here are some important dates to keep in mind: early voting for the primary runoff election will be May 18 through May 22, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 26. And looking ahead, the general election is on November 3. Make a plan to vote, and make your voice heard.

*Outro music*

Gonzalez: And that’s the Texan Explains for the Texas Primary Election. I’m Natalie Gonzalez.

The Texan Explains is a production of The Daily Texan Audio Department. If you liked this episode, make sure to subscribe to The Daily Texan on your streaming platform of choice and follow us on Twitter @texanaudio.

Special thanks to The Daily Texan news department for the reporting on the election. The cover is by The Daily Texan photo department and music is by Blue Dot Sessions. To read news stories about the election or see more from the Texan, head on over to www.thedailytexan.com. Thanks for listening.