James Talarico, a state lawmaker and recent seminary graduate, claimed the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Texas, defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Associated Press projected. Speaking in Austin as returns came in, Talarico said the result signaled renewed hope for the state.
The Republican contest, however, remains unsettled. With no candidate topping the 50% threshold on primary night, the GOP primary will go to a runoff on May 26 between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. As of roughly 80% of precincts reporting, Cornyn led with about 42.1% of the vote to Paxton’s 40.9%, while Congressman Wesley Hunt had about 13.2%.
The seat is among the most closely watched in the country this year. Democrats see a chance to win a statewide race in Texas for the first time in more than three decades, while both parties view the primaries as a test of the direction their bases want them to take ahead of the fall midterms.
On the Republican side, Cornyn, Paxton and Hunt each cast themselves as the truest ally of former President Trump. Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, warned supporters that the stakes for Trump’s agenda are high and criticized Paxton as a risky choice for the party. If re-elected and served for a full six years, Cornyn would become the longest-serving senator in Texas history, surpassing Democrat Morris Sheppard.
Critics and analysts note Cornyn’s long tenure is both an asset and a liability. Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project said Cornyn’s institutional style reflects a traditional senator but may feel out of step with a GOP that has shifted in recent years.
Paxton and Hunt spent much of the primary arguing they better represent the MAGA-aligned, rightward-moving Republican base. Paxton — who was previously the subject of impeachment proceedings and was acquitted — accused Cornyn of working too closely with Democrats on issues such as gun legislation and told supporters the Texas race would remain nationally significant. Political consultant Bill Miller suggested Paxton is well positioned for a runoff, since such contests typically draw the most conservative, highly motivated primary voters.
On the Democratic side, Talarico, 36, is an eighth-generation Texan, a former San Antonio middle school teacher and a recent Master of Divinity graduate from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He won his first legislative race in 2018 by flipping a district Donald Trump had carried two years earlier. Talarico gained prominence among state Democrats during a 2025 special legislative session when he helped lead a walkout protesting Republican-led redistricting, and he launched his Senate bid after that session concluded.
Crockett entered the race after the state’s congressional map-drawing left her district unfavorably redrawn. Known in Congress for forceful exchanges with Republicans, she injected high-profile energy into the contest and at times turned a competitive primary more contentious. While both candidates generally agreed on policy, their strategies diverged: Talarico emphasized outreach to moderates, disaffected Republicans and unaffiliated voters and frequently invoked his faith; Crockett focused on maximizing Democratic turnout.
Results in the Democratic primary were delayed in Dallas County after hundreds of voters were reportedly turned away because they arrived at precinct-based polling locations rather than the countywide sites used during early voting. Local Republican officials required voters to cast ballots at their assigned precincts, prompting a county judge to extend polling hours by two hours and contributing to slower reporting in a tight race.
The Texas primary has been extraordinarily expensive. By mid-February, tracking firm AdImpact Politics reported nearly $99 million in combined spending across both parties’ Senate races, making it one of the priciest Senate primaries in U.S. history; Cornyn alone accounted for almost $59 million of that total. Spending has continued to rise, with a steady flow of candidate and super PAC attack ads.
Beyond the immediate contests, the outcome will be watched for its implications on broader trends in Texas politics, including how the state’s growing Latino electorate is shifting. Polling suggests Latino voters in Texas and nationally have been moving away from the Republican Party over concerns like the economy and immigration enforcement — a development that could help determine control of the Senate if Democrats can capitalize on it.
For now, Talarico prepares for a general election campaign that will depend in part on who emerges from a high-stakes GOP runoff between an entrenched incumbent and a more hard-line challenger.