Texas voters head to the polls Tuesday in a series of high-profile primary runoff elections that could reshape the state's political future while offering another measure of President Donald Trump's influence over the Republican Party.
The marquee contest is the Republican Senate runoff between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The race has divided Republicans and drawn national attention, considering it is pitting an establishment member of the GOP and a firebrand. The race was shaken last week after Trump endorsed Paxton. The winner will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.
NBC News noted that Trump's endorsement delivered a major blow to Cornyn, who had spent months trying to secure the president's backing. Paxton and allied super PAC Lone Star Liberty immediately launched ads promoting Trump's support.
Trump praised Paxton as a "True MAGA warrior" and highlighted his support for eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass Trump's SAVE America Act, a proposal that would impose stricter federal voting requirements, including proof of citizenship for voter registration and photo identification for ballots.
Trump also criticized Cornyn for not supporting him strongly enough during the 2016 presidential campaign and for comments suggesting he was not the GOP's strongest candidate in 2024. Cornyn has tried to frame himself as the safer general election option, warning Republican voters that Paxton's public controversies could jeopardize a seat the GOP has controlled for decades.
Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges before being acquitted by the state Senate. His personal life has also become part of the campaign conversation after his wife announced plans for divorce last year on what she described as "biblical grounds."
Despite those controversies, Paxton has maintained deep support among conservative grassroots voters. Cornyn and an allied super PAC have spent nearly $20 million on advertising since March, compared to roughly $5 million from Paxton and supportive outside groups, according to AdImpact data.
In Texas' 35th Congressional District, Democrats are facing a politically explosive runoff between Johnny Garcia, who works in the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, and sex therapist Maureen Galindo, whose controversial social media posts have triggered condemnation from Democratic leaders.
Galindo sparked outrage after posting on Instagram that she would transform an ICE detention center into "a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking," while also accusing many Zionists of being "pedophiles."
The controversy intensified after Punchbowl News reported that a mysterious super PAC spending heavily to support Galindo, Lead Left PAC, had previous ties to a Republican fundraising platform. The situation has fueled speculation that Republicans are attempting to elevate a weaker Democratic candidate in hopes of keeping the district out of reach for Democrats in November.
Texas Democrats are also watching closely as two incumbent members of Congress fight for survival after redistricting forced them into the same district. Rep. Al Green and Rep. Christian Menefee are competing in a Houston-area runoff that has exposed generational tensions inside the Democratic Party.
Menefee, 37, has argued he represents a younger and more aggressive political future, while Green, 78, is leaning on his decades-long congressional record and outspoken opposition to Trump. Another closely watched Democratic runoff is unfolding in the Dallas area, where former Congressman Colin Allred faces Rep. Julie Johnson after significant redistricting changes altered the political makeup of the district.
Republicans are also battling over several safe GOP congressional seats that will likely determine future members of Congress. Some of those contests have become proxy fights between Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who have endorsed rival candidates in different races. Polls in most of Texas close at 8 p.m. ET, with the rest of the state closing at 9 p.m. ET.
