In Tuesday’s Texas primary election, many races have national implications and will shed insight into American attitudes one year into President Donald Trump’s second term.
Trump has made it clear that he is keeping a close eye on the primary, announcing endorsements in select House races, while staying on the sidelines for the most high-profile one: the Texas Senate race.
Polls close in Texas at 7 p.m. local time.
Sen. John Cornyn arrives for a press conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2026. | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton arrives for the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Rep. Wesley Hunt arrives at a campaign event, Feb. 16, 2026, in Dallas.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | Julio Cortez/AP
State significance
In the high-stakes Texas Senate primary, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is seeking his fifth consecutive term, running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX-38) in a race that is likely to advance to a runoff. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) is facing off against state Rep. James Talarico, two rising stars in the Democratic party who hope to flip the seat for the first time in decades.
This election also marks the moment in which redistricting will begin to play out. Following Trump’s encouragement last summer, Texas spearheaded the redistricting wars — triggering a Supreme Court case, sparking national debate over mid-decade gerrymandering, and prompting other states to follow suit.
Now, newly drawn maps are likely to deliver five GOP pickups for the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority.
Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
While Texas’ 23rd Congressional District is expected to stay red, the showdown between Trump-endorsed incumbent Rep. Tony Gonzales and Brandon Herrera will be one to watch, especially after multiple Republicans have called upon Gonzales to resign following an alleged relationship with his former staffer who died by suicide.
In the gubernatorial race, Trump-endorsed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is running for his fourth term in a state where governors do not have term limits. The last Democratic governor to represent the Lone Star State was the late Ann Richards from 1991 to 1995, but Democrats are gaining confidence in state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
