These Texas primary races are heading to a runoff
DALLAS - When the dust settled on Tuesday night's primary elections, some races were still not decided by a clear winner.
In Texas, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote total before they can be declared the winner. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a runoff election is held between the two top vote-getters.
Some federal, statewide and local races will head to runoffs on May 26. Early voting in those races will begin on May 18 and eligibility to vote in those races is determined by which party's primary elections you voted in.
Republican Senate race goes to runoff
One of the biggest elections heading to a runoff is the race for U.S. Senate on the Republican side. Voters will head back to the polls on May 26 to decide between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton moves to runoff against Cornyn for Senate seat
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will have to face Sen. John Cornyn a second time as the candidates move to a May runoff for the incumbent senator's seat.
The winner of the race will face off against state Rep. James Talarico in November.
Texas Attorney General
Both races for Texas attorney general are going to a runoff.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Mayes Middleton and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy are set for a May rematch.
For Democrats, State Sen. Nathan Johnson finished just below the 50% mark and will likely face Houston lawyer Joe Jaworski, who narrowly leads Tony Box for the second runoff spot.
U.S. House races head to runoff
Several races for the U.S. House of Representatives are also heading to a runoff.
Republican House races going to a runoff:
- District 7 — Alexander Hale and Tina Cohen will head to a runoff to determine the November opponent for incumbent Democrat Lizzie Fletcher, who ran unopposed Tuesday night.
- District 9 — Alex Mealer and Briscoe Cain head to a runoff in this redrawn district. Mealer was endorsed by Trump, while Cain has served in the state legislature. The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Leticia Gutierrez in November.
- District 16 – Adam Bauman and Manuel Barraza face off in May to determine who will face Democratic incumbent Veronica Escobar in November.
- District 19 – Tom Sell will head to a runoff against either Abraham Enriquez or Matt Smith in the May election. The winner will face Democrat Kyle Rable, who ran unopposed.
- District 23 – In District 23, incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales will head to a runoff against Brandon Herrera. The two went to a runoff in 2024, with Gonzales emerging victorious.
- District 30 – The race to replace Rep. Jasmine Crockett will require a runoff on the Republican side. Voters will decide between Everett Jackson and Sholdon Daniels in May.
- District 33 — Voters were so split over the Republican nomination in District 33 that the two candidates in the runoff have not been decided. Patrick Gillespie will go to the runoff as the top vote-getter on the Republican side, but only with around 35% of the vote. The second candidate in the runoff is between John Sims, Monte Mitchell and Kurt Schwab, who are all separated by fewer than 300 votes.
- District 35 – John Lujan and Carlos De La Cruz will work to win over voters in this district after no candidate in the five-person race earned more than 50% of the vote.
- District 37 — In Austin, Ge'Nell Gary and Lauren Pena are heading to a runoff. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Greg Casar in November.
- District 38 — The crowded race to replace Rep. Wesley Hunt in Houston has been narrowed to two. Jon Bonck and Shelly deZevallos will meet in May's runoff election to determine the Republican nominee.
Democratic House races going to a runoff:
- District 1 — Yolanda Prince and Dax Alexander will head to a runoff for this East Texas seat that's being held by Nathaniel Moran, a Republican who ran unopposed.
- District 5 – The race to face Lance Gooden comes down to a runoff showdown between Chelsey Hockett and Ruth Torres.
- District 14 – Richard Davis and Thurman Bartie head to a runoff in this coastal Texas district. The winner will face off with incumbent Republican Randy Weber in November.
- District 17 — Milah Flores and Casey Shepard were the top two Democrats in this Central Texas district. The winner in May will face Pete Sessions.
- District 18 — Christian Menefee will defend his seat against Rep. Al Green in May as the two face off for the Democratic nomination. Green, who currently represents another district, was moved into Menefee's district after a mid-decade redistricting.
- District 24 — Kevin Burge will face either TJ Ware or Jon Buchwald in May for the Democratic nomination. The winner will run against Republican incumbent Beth Van Duyne in November.
- District 33 — The District 33 runoff features incumbent Julie Johnson facing off against former Rep. Colin Allred. The Republican side of the ballot is also in the air and will also go to a runoff.
- District 35 — District 35 is another district with dual runoffs. On the Democratic side, Maureen Galindo and Johnny Garcia will find out in May which candidate will advance to the November general election.
Which runoffs am I allowed to vote in?
Which runoff elections you're allowed to vote in depends on if you voted in the primary election or not.
If you voted in a primary, you can only vote in runoff elections for the party you aligned with during the primary.
So, if you voted in the Republican primary, you can only vote in Republican runoff elections. The same is true for a voter in the Democratic primary; they can only vote in Democratic runoff elections.
Did I need to vote in the primary in order to vote in the runoff election?
No. If you did not vote in a primary election, you can still vote in a runoff election.
What if I didn't register to vote before the primary elections?
If you were not registered to vote in the primary elections, you can still register to vote ahead of the May runoff elections.
The deadline to register to vote before the runoff elections is April 27.
Am I registered to vote?
The easiest way to check your voter registration status is to head to the Secretary of State's website.
The Am I Registered portal on the website lets you submit your identifying information, like a Texas Driver's License number or details about your birth.
You will find out instantly if you're registered to vote. The portal will also give you your poll location and early voting locations.
The Source: Results from the March 3 primary elections come from the Texas Secretary of State's Office. Race calls and runoffs are made by the Associated Press. Information on runoff voting and eligibility comes from the Texas Secretary of States Office.