March 3, 2026 · Texas Primary Election

2026 Texas Primary Election Results: Who Won and What Happens Next

Full results from the U.S. Senate, Governor, and key House races — including the upsets that shook both parties.

Updated March 5, 2026 · 99% of precincts reporting
Runoff Alert: The Republican U.S. Senate race (Cornyn vs. Paxton) and several House districts are heading to a runoff on May 26, 2026. Early voting runs May 18–22.
2026 Texas Primary Election Results overview
Texas held its 2026 primary elections on March 3 — the first major primary day of the midterm cycle.

Texas kicked off the 2026 midterm election cycle on March 3, with voters casting ballots in high-stakes races for U.S. Senate, Governor, and dozens of House seats. The night produced several major upsets: a four-term Republican congressman lost his seat to a MAGA challenger, and two sitting Democratic members of Congress faced off in a redrawn district. Here is a complete breakdown of every key result.

U.S. Senate Results

Democratic Primary

Democratic Primary — U.S. Senate · 99% Reporting
Candidate Votes %
James Talarico WINNER 1,212,516
52.5%
Jasmine Crockett 1,068,348
46.2%
Ahmad Hassan 31,010
1.3%

Republican Primary

Republican Primary — U.S. Senate · 99% Reporting · RUNOFF
Candidate Votes %
John Cornyn (Incumbent) RUNOFF 907,214
41.9%
Ken Paxton RUNOFF 881,121
40.7%
Wesley Hunt 292,658
13.5%

Neither Cornyn nor Paxton cleared the 50% threshold required to win outright. They will face each other in the May 26 runoff.

James Talarico wins Texas Democratic Senate primary 2026
State Rep. James Talarico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in a narrow race to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. (PBS News)

Governor Results

Republican Primary — Governor · 99% Reporting
CandidateVotes%
Greg Abbott (Incumbent) WINNER 1,759,903
81.8%
Pete Chambers 240,342
11.2%
Democratic Primary — Governor · 99% Reporting
CandidateVotes%
Gina Hinojosa WINNER 1,285,360
58.5%
Chris Bell 215,833
9.8%

Key U.S. House Upsets

District 2 — Dan Crenshaw Loses to Steve Toth

Republican Primary — TX-02 · 99% Reporting
CandidateVotes%
Steve Toth WINNER 36,760
55.8%
Dan Crenshaw (Incumbent) 26,764
40.6%

District 18 — Al Green vs. Christian Menefee (Runoff)

Democratic Primary — TX-18 · 99% Reporting · RUNOFF
CandidateVotes%
Christian Menefee RUNOFF 43,597
46.0%
Al Green (Incumbent) RUNOFF 41,822
44.2%

Neither candidate reached 50%, so this race heads to a May 26 runoff. The contest pits 20-year incumbent Al Green (78) against newly sworn-in Rep. Christian Menefee (37) — a generational battle that reflects broader Democratic Party tensions.

Who Are the Key Candidates?

The 2026 Texas primary produced several candidates who will shape the national political conversation heading into November. Here is a quick profile of the most-searched names.

James Talarico

Democrat Senate Nominee

Texas state representative who became nationally known through viral social media videos. Appeared on Stephen Colbert's show, generating millions of views. Won the Democratic Senate nomination by defeating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett 52.5% to 46.2%. He will face the winner of the Cornyn–Paxton runoff in November.

Dan Crenshaw

Republican Lost Primary

Four-term congressman and former Navy SEAL who lost the TX-02 Republican primary to Steve Toth. Crenshaw was the only Texas House Republican not endorsed by President Trump, after clashing with the party's hard-right wing. His loss was seen as a test of MAGA influence in the 2026 midterms.

Al Green

Democrat Headed to Runoff

20-year incumbent congressman (first elected 2004) who twice interrupted Trump's State of the Union addresses. After redistricting, Green was forced to run against fellow Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee. He narrowly advanced to a May 26 runoff but did not win outright.

Jasmine Crockett

Democrat Lost Primary

Progressive congresswoman who left her House seat to run for U.S. Senate. Despite national name recognition and strong fundraising, she lost to James Talarico by about 6 percentage points. Her loss was one of the most-discussed results on social media election night.

Ken Paxton

Republican Runoff

Texas Attorney General who challenged incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton received 40.7% of the vote to Cornyn's 41.9%, sending the race to a May 26 runoff. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 but acquitted by the Senate; he remains a polarizing figure within the GOP.

John Cornyn

Republican Runoff

Incumbent U.S. Senator seeking re-election. Despite holding the seat since 2002, Cornyn failed to clear 50% against Paxton, reflecting the competitive nature of the MAGA-aligned Republican base in Texas. He leads into the runoff by a narrow 1.2-point margin.

Texas U.S. Senate candidates 2026: Cornyn, Paxton, Hunt, Crockett, Talarico
The five major candidates who competed in the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate primaries. (KSAT)

Watch: Texas Primary Results Breakdown

The following NBC News live stream covered the full election night, including the Talarico–Crockett Senate race, the Cornyn–Paxton runoff, and the Crenshaw upset — providing context on what these results mean for November's midterms.

What Is a Runoff? What Happens on May 26?

In Texas, if no candidate in a primary receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election. The runoff determines the party's official nominee for the November general election.

March 3, 2026 — Primary Election Day

Voters in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas cast the first primary ballots of the 2026 midterm cycle.

May 18–22, 2026 — Early Voting for Runoff

Registered Texas voters can cast early ballots for the May 26 runoff during this window.

May 26, 2026 — Primary Runoff Election

Key races: Republican Senate (Cornyn vs. Paxton) and Democratic House TX-18 (Menefee vs. Green), among others.

November 3, 2026 — General Election

Primary winners face off in the general election. Texas Senate: Talarico (D) vs. Cornyn or Paxton (R).

Who Can Vote in the Texas Runoff?

If you voted in the Democratic primary on March 3, you may only vote in the Democratic runoff on May 26. If you voted in the Republican primary, you may only vote in the Republican runoff. If you did not vote in the March 3 primary, you may vote in either party's runoff — but not both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Texas Senate primary in 2026?
On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico won the Texas Senate primary, defeating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett 52.5% to 46.2%. On the Republican side, no candidate cleared 50%: incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (41.9%) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (40.7%) will face each other in a May 26, 2026 runoff.
Did Al Green lose his primary?
Al Green did not win outright, but he has not yet lost. He advanced to a May 26 runoff against Rep. Christian Menefee in Texas' 18th Congressional District. Menefee leads with 46.0% to Green's 44.2%. The winner of the runoff will be the Democratic nominee for November.
Why did Dan Crenshaw lose the Texas primary?
Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost the TX-02 Republican primary to state Rep. Steve Toth, 55.8% to 40.6%. Crenshaw was the only Texas House Republican not endorsed by President Trump, after years of clashing with the party's MAGA wing. Toth received a late endorsement from Sen. Ted Cruz, which many analysts credit as decisive. Crenshaw's loss is widely seen as a demonstration of Trump's continued influence over Republican primary voters.
What is the Texas primary runoff date in 2026?
The Texas primary runoff election is scheduled for May 26, 2026. Early voting for the runoff runs from May 18 through May 22. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on runoff day.
Who is James Talarico and why did he win?
James Talarico is a Texas state representative who built a national following through viral social media videos. He gained widespread attention after an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that generated millions of views. Analysts attribute his primary win over Jasmine Crockett to his ability to mobilize younger, progressive voters and his strong digital fundraising. He will be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, facing either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton in November.
What does the Texas primary result mean for the November midterms?
The 2026 Texas primary results signal that incumbents are on shaky ground across both parties. The Cornyn–Paxton runoff will test whether the MAGA wing can unseat a long-serving establishment Republican senator. On the Democratic side, Talarico's win gives the party a candidate with national viral appeal to challenge what has historically been a safe Republican Senate seat. Political analysts are watching Texas closely as a potential bellwether for the broader 2026 midterm environment.
What happened in the Texas governor's race primary?
Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily won his primary with 81.8% of the vote, avoiding a runoff. On the Democratic side, Gina Hinojosa won with 58.5%. Abbott and Hinojosa will face each other in the November general election.