Texas voters headed to the polls Tuesday for a slate of closely watched primary runoff elections, with early returns already reshaping the political landscape ahead of the November general election.
One of the night’s biggest developments came in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff, where Ken Paxton defeated longtime incumbent John Cornyn in a major upset.
The Associated Press called the race for Paxton shortly after 8 p.m., with the Texas attorney general holding roughly 62% of the vote compared to Cornyn’s 37%.
Backed by an endorsement from Donald Trump, Paxton campaigned as a more hardline conservative closely aligned with the former president. Cornyn, meanwhile, leaned on his decades of experience in Washington and long-standing conservative record.
Paxton will now advance to face Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.
In the Republican runoff for Texas attorney general, Mayes Middleton led Chip Roy with 56% of the vote as of 8 p.m.
On the Democratic side, Nathan Johnson held a commanding lead over former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski with around 60%.
Texas Democrats were also choosing their nominee for lieutenant governor, where state Rep. Vikki Goodwin surged ahead of labor organizer Marcos Vélez with 68% of the vote.
The winner will challenge incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November.
Meanwhile, Republicans voting in the Texas Railroad Commission runoff — despite the office primarily regulating the state’s oil and gas industry — gave former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French a narrow lead over incumbent Jim Wright, 52% to 48%.
Voters were also deciding several runoff contests for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, whose rulings often influence issues ranging from the death penalty to voting rights and prosecutorial authority.
The runoff winners will move on to the November ballot, which will also feature the Texas governor’s race between incumbent Greg Abbott and Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa.
