Texas voters to settle marquee Senate, key statewide runoffs for both parties Tuesday

AUSTIN – Voters on Tuesday will settle a marquee U.S. Senate runoff and a slate of other statewide office nominations that could reshape power inside America’s biggest red state and elevate the next generation of Texas political leaders.

At the center is the Republican showdown between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who have bombarded each other over ethics, loyalty and character in one of the state’s ugliest fights in years.

The contest has drawn national attention and more than $125 million in advertising by the candidates and their allies, making it the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history. The winner will face the Democratic nominee, James Talarico, a state representative from Austin.

VOTER GUIDE:  The major races your vote will decide in Tuesday’s runoffs.

Tuesday’s runoff ballot stretches beyond the Senate race. Democrats and Republicans also are picking nominees in congressional contests and statewide runoffs, including lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Voters must choose either the Republican or Democratic runoff. Those who voted in a party’s March primary must stay with that party in the runoff. Those who skipped the March primary can participate in either runoff. The winners advance to November’s general election.

In a state where Republicans control every statewide office and dominate the Legislature and congressional delegation, GOP primaries often carry outsized importance. Still, Democrats hope competitive races and high-profile candidates can build momentum.

In the Republican Senate race, Cornyn, who finished first in the March primary, is betting GOP voters still value his experience and electability. 

He has portrayed Paxton as unfit for office, hammering him over his impeachment by the GOP-led Texas House, other legal troubles and allegations of adultery. Paxton’s nomination, Cornyn said, could hand Democrats an opening in November. 

Paxton, meanwhile, has cast Cornyn as a weak, do-nothing Washington insider disconnected from President Donald Trump and the party’s MAGA base. Paxton also has played up Trump’s late endorsement, saying it shows who the president trusts to aggressively support his agenda.

Most state Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have stayed out of the divisive fight.

The stakes reach beyond Texas as Republicans are defending a narrow Senate majority in Washington.

Talarico has said the Cornyn-Paxton outcome changes little for most Texans, saying both ultimately serve “the same billionaire donors and the same broken political system.”

Republicans, in response, already have started trying to define Talarico as too liberal for Texas.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Early voting ended Friday, drawing 829,000 Republican ballots and 348,000 for Democrats. About 62% of the vote in the March 3 Republican primary was cast before that day. 

Voters in both parties also are deciding who will replace Paxton, who is leaving the AG’s office after 11 years whether he wins the Senate runoff or not. The office is one of the state’s most powerful, in charge of defending state agencies and laws. It also has been a political springboard. Both Cornyn and Abbott served as attorney general.

The Republican contest has split some of the state’s biggest conservative figures. 

State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston, who finished first in March, is backed by Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin has lined up support from Sen. Ted Cruz and many House conservatives.

Middleton has portrayed Roy as an ineffective politician more focused on talk than results, while Roy has questioned Middleton’s legal experience and cast him as a wealthy candidate trying to buy the office.

Democrats, meanwhile, are choosing between state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. Johnson fell just short of winning the nomination in the March primary.

Democrats will be choosing a nominee to face Patrick, the well-financed incumbent running for his fourth term.

State Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin, a longtime legislator, has emphasized public education, and Marcos Vélez of Houston, a union leader. campaigned as a champion for workers.The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate, setting its legislative agenda and shaping committees.

Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright is being challenged for the GOP nomination by Bo French, who stepped down as Tarrant County GOP chairman to run for a seat on agency that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry. 

Wright has played up his industry background, ties to top Republican leaders and record on the commission.

French has rarely focused on oil and gas regulation in his campaign. Instead, he has drawn scrutiny for anti-Muslim, antisemitic and other inflammatory comments.

The winner will face Democrat Jon Rosenthal, a state representative from Houston.

Staff writer Aarón Torres in Austin contributed to this report.