Texas 2026 Primary Runoffs Decide U.S. Senate, Attorney General and Key Statewide Races
Why It Matters
Texas voters headed to the polls on May 26 to settle 38 unresolved primary contests, with runoff results determining nominees for some of the state’s highest-profile offices — including a U.S. Senate seat and the attorney general’s office. The outcomes will shape Texas’s congressional delegation, statewide legal leadership, and the balance of power heading into November’s general election.
What Happened
In March’s primary elections, no candidate in 38 races secured a majority of votes, triggering runoff contests between the top two finishers in each. The May 26 runoffs narrowed those fields to a single nominee per party ahead of the fall general election.
The marquee matchup pits longtime U.S. Senator John Cornyn against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary for Cornyn’s Senate seat. Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term, received a significant blow when President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton. The race has drawn national attention as a test of the senator’s standing within the current Republican coalition.
Paxton, for his part, is vacating the attorney general’s office to pursue the Senate seat, which opened a separate Republican runoff for that position. State Rep. Mayes Middleton, a wealthy GOP donor who converted his financial influence into a political operation, emerged as the Republican front-runner in the attorney general contest.
On the Democratic side, a heated runoff in U.S. House District 18 features sitting Representatives Al Green and Christian Menefee, who have clashed over the role of large donors and outside money in the race.
By the Numbers
- 38 races advanced to runoffs after no candidate claimed a majority in the March primary.
- 38 congressional seats are on the ballot in Texas this cycle, with all seats up for election.
- 7 open U.S. House seats are contested — six held by Republicans and one by a Democrat — due to retirements, primary challenges, and a redrawn congressional map.
- 8 State Board of Education seats are up for election in 2026, including six currently held by Republicans and two by Democrats.
- 3 seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are on the ballot this cycle, out of nine total positions currently held entirely by Republicans.
Races to Watch
Beyond the Senate and attorney general contests, several other offices are being decided. The Railroad Commission runoff covers regulation of Texas oil and gas production — a consequential role for the state’s dominant energy sector. The lieutenant governor’s Democratic primary will determine who faces incumbent Republican Dan Patrick in November. The winner of that race would, if elected, effectively control the Texas Senate’s legislative agenda.
Redistricting has significantly altered the congressional landscape. Republican lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional map last summer, reshaping multiple districts and contributing to a wave of retirements and competitive primaries. House Districts 9, 33, 35, and 18 all feature runoffs, with both parties competing in District 35.
Voters who participated in the March Republican primary may only cast ballots in Republican runoffs, and Democratic primary voters are similarly restricted. Registered voters who sat out the March primary are eligible to participate in either party’s runoff.
Zoom Out
The Cornyn-Paxton matchup reflects a broader national pattern in which Republican incumbents with long congressional tenures have faced pressure from candidates aligned more closely with the Trump political brand. Similar dynamics have played out in other states during the 2026 primary cycle. Trump’s endorsement of Paxton adds to a string of high-profile primary interventions the president has made in competitive Senate races this cycle.
The attorney general’s race also reflects a national trend of state legal officers becoming increasingly central political figures — particularly through multistate litigation against federal policy on immigration, energy, and other contested areas. Contested candidate positioning has become a defining feature of 2026 primary politics beyond Texas as well.
What’s Next
Runoff winners advance to the November general election, where they will face nominees from the opposing party or, in some cases, run in heavily partisan districts with little general-election competition. The results of races like the Senate primary and attorney general contest will set the stage for Texas’s political trajectory through 2032, given the length of Senate and statewide terms. November ballots will also include the Railroad Commission, lieutenant governor, and multiple Texas House and Senate seats not resolved tonight.