Trump-backed Ken Paxton challenges John Cornyn in Texas runoff

Texas voters have returned to the polls for a high-stakes slate of primary runoff elections that will finalize party nominees for critical federal, statewide, and legislative offices ahead of November's general election. Polling locations across the state opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. local time, with election officials ensuring that any voter who is securely in line by the evening cutoff will be legally permitted to cast their ballot.

Because Texas requires a clean majority to secure a party nomination, these runoffs were triggered when crowded, multi-candidate fields during the March 3 primaries left top contenders short of the 50% threshold. The headlining contest of the day is a bruising, expensive Republican battle for the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is fighting to defend his seat against a fierce challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The race received a dramatic jolt during the early voting window when President Donald Trump officially endorsed Paxton, intensifying a hyper-negative, multi-million-dollar ad campaign that strategists worry could depress overall voter turnout, News.Az reports, citing CBS News.

With Paxton vacating his current seat to pursue the Senate, the race for Texas Attorney General has also split into highly competitive Republican and Democratic runoffs. On the conservative side, State Senator Mayes Middleton and U.S. Representative Chip Roy are locked in a contentious fight to secure the Republican nomination. Meanwhile, Texas Democrats are choosing between former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski and State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas to lead their party's ticket in the fall.

The ballots feature highly anticipated local and regional matchups, particularly within North Texas. In a newly redrawn congressional district, Democrats Julie Johnson and Colin Allred are locked in a highly competitive duel for the nomination, a race that has recently centered on sharp policy debates regarding personal stock trading. Local leadership is also on the line in municipal contests, such as a tense final mayoral face-off in the fast-growing city of Frisco.

Registered voters looking to find their precise precinct assignments can use the Voter Lookup Tool on the Texas Secretary of State’s official portal. Large metropolitan regions, including Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, and Denton counties, have also deployed interactive online polling maps to help voters navigate any last-minute location changes.

Once today's ballots are tallied, the focus will shift entirely to the November 3, 2026, general election. Texans looking forward to the fall ballot face a fast-approaching October 5 registration deadline, with early voting scheduled to run from October 17 through October 30, and mail-in ballot applications due by October 23.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada