Texas voters decided several high-profile runoff races on Tuesday ahead of November’s general election.
Voters selected party nominees for U.S. Senate, attorney general, lieutenant governor and railroad commissioner, along with several congressional and local races after no candidate secured a majority in the March primaries.
More than 873,000 Texas Republicans cast early ballots in the race, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State. In total, more than 1.3 million Republicans participated in the runoff.
Meanwhile, Democratic turnout paled in comparison, with more than 470,000 casting ballots, according to state data.
The runoff winners will advance to the November general election ballot, which will also include Texas’ gubernatorial race between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa.
This story currently shows tabulations as of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday and will be updated as additional election results are released.
Paxton beats Cornyn in Republican U.S. Senate runoff
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has won the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in one of the nation’s highest-profile Republican primaries. The Associated Press called the race for Paxton shortly after 8 p.m.
Paxton framed himself as a more hardline conservative closely aligned with President Donald Trump, who endorsed him last week. Cornyn, who has represented Texas in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades, campaigned on his experience and conservative record in Washington.
As of 11:45 p.m., Paxton garnered about 64% of the vote, compared to roughly 35% for Cornyn.
Paxton will move on to face Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.
Middleton, Johnson advance in attorney general contests
Texas voters are also deciding who will become their parties’ nominees for attorney general, the state’s top lawyer and chief legal representative.
In the Republican attorney general runoff, state Sen. Mayes Middleton defeated U.S. Rep. Chip Roy to replace Paxton, who opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking reelection. The race has largely focused on which candidate was more closely aligned with President Trump.
The Associated Press called the race for Middleton just before 9 p.m., with Middleton leading with about 56% of the vote.
On the Democratic side, Texas voters chose state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas as their nominee for attorney general, beating out former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. The Associated Press called the race for Johnson at 8 p.m.
Throughout the race, Johnson emphasized his experience in the Legislature, while Jaworski focused on energizing progressive voters.
Left: Patricia Lim, KUT News / Right: Courtesy photo from Vélez campaign
Goodwin wins Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin won the Democratic nomination over labor organizer Marcos Vélez in the runoff for lieutenant governor, one of the most powerful positions in Texas government. The office oversees the state Senate and helps shape the Legislature’s agenda.
The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m., with Goodwin leading with about 68% of the vote.
Goodwin will advance to November’s general election to face incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has held the office for more than a decade and easily won his primary earlier this year.
Tight GOP race for railroad commissioner
By 11:45 p.m., the Republican runoff for Texas railroad commissioner had not yet been called.
The statewide office with a misleading name regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry.
Incumbent Jim Wright faces former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French in the Republican runoff. As of 11:45 p.m., both Wright and French were neck and neck.
Gabriel C. Pérez
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KUT News
Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas voters are also deciding several judicial runoff races across the state, including a contest for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest court for criminal cases.
The court handles appeals in criminal cases across Texas, including death penalty appeals and petitions from people challenging felony convictions. Its rulings can shape how criminal laws are interpreted statewide and often carry major implications for issues like voting rights, prosecutorial authority and the death penalty.
One of the judicial races on Tuesday’s ballot was the Republican primary runoff for Place 3 on the Court of Criminal Appeals. As of 9:45 p.m., the Associated Press called the Republican primary runoff for Place 3 in favor of Thomas Smith, an assistant attorney general in Ken Paxton’s office, over attorney Alison Fox.
