Texas Senate Race: Candidates Seeking to Challenge or Support Trump

Key Texas Senate primaries in 2026

Trump influences the race

Democrats seek to break GOP dominance

The Tuesday primaries in Texas will mark one of the first major battles of the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats are seeking to curb Republican control over Washington and contain the influence of President Donald Trump. Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to maintain their political dominance.

Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than 30 years, but the results of these primaries will determine whether that streak could change.

The race pits three Republicans and two Democrats against one another as they try to position themselves for the general election in November.

Texas Senate primaries 2026 begin amid national political tension

Texas Senate primaries 2026 – Photo Shutterstock

The process is unfolding in a tense international context after the United States and Israel entered into conflict with Iran over the weekend.

The regional conflict has resulted in the deaths of at least six U.S. service members and increases in oil and natural gas prices.

Trump faces criticism for taking the country into the conflict without authorization from Congress and for lacking a clear exit strategy.

Meanwhile, voters in Texas are beginning to decide who will represent the state in the United States Senate.

Republicans compete for control of the party

Texas Senate primaries 2026 – Photo Shutterstock

Republican Senator John Cornyn is attempting to secure a fifth term in the Senate.

His candidacy faces two significant challenges from within his own party.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, appears to be one of the strongest rivals.

Also running is Representative Wesley Hunt.

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All three Republican candidates have highlighted their ties to Trump during the campaign.

However, the president has not officially endorsed any candidate in the race.

Cornyn faces political vulnerability partly because of his strained relationship with Trump.

His campaign and allied groups have spent $64 million on television advertising since July.

Paxton launched his campaign later but has maintained national visibility through lawsuits against Democratic initiatives.

The attorney general survived an impeachment trial in 2023 over corruption allegations.

He was acquitted in that process, although he also faced accusations of infidelity from his wife.

Republican Senate leaders are backing Cornyn.

They fear that a Paxton nomination could force the party to spend additional resources defending the seat.

Paxton has promoted the endorsement of Turning Point USA in his campaign advertisements.

Hunt’s entry into the race in October complicates the chances of any candidate reaching the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

If no candidate surpasses that mark, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff on May 26.

Democrats seek a historic opportunity in the Texas primaries

Texas Senate primaries 2026 – Photo Efe

On the Democratic side, the race pits Representative Jasmine Crockett against state legislator James Talarico.

Both argue they are the candidate with the best chance of winning the general election.

Texas backed Donald Trump by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024.

Additionally, no Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades.

Talarico has built a campaign focused on traveling across the entire state.

He has organized events even in strongly Republican areas.

The legislator also frequently references the Bible during his public speeches.

Crockett has gained national recognition for her direct attacks against Republicans.

Her campaign has focused on boosting voter turnout among Black voters in Dallas and Houston.

By late February, Talarico had spent more than four times as much as Crockett on television advertising.

The legislator also received national attention after a controversy with CBS.

The network decided not to air an interview Talarico had recorded with host Stephen Colbert.

Colbert said the interview was pulled due to fears of issues with Trump’s communications commission.

Talarico’s campaign reported raising $2.5 million within 24 hours.

That money came after the interview was released online.

Other races shaping the electoral landscape

Texas Senate primaries 2026 – Photo Shutterstock

The Texas primaries also include several key races for the United States House of Representatives.

Republicans redrew congressional districts mid-decade.

The goal was to help the party gain five seats currently held by Democrats.

In District 34, former representative Mayra Flores is attempting to return to Congress.

She faces attorney Eric Flores, who is backed by Trump.

The winner will compete against Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.

In District 23, Republican Tony Gonzales faces criticism within his own party.

His challenger is Brandon Herrera.

The district includes the city of Uvalde, where a school massacre occurred in 2022, according to Dallas News.

In District 2, Congressman Dan Crenshaw faces state legislator Steve Toth.

Toth has the backing of Senator Ted Cruz.

Additionally, former baseball player Mark Teixeira is seeking the seat in District 21.

That position will be vacant because Representative Chip Roy is running for state attorney general.

The Texas Senate primaries 2026 are taking place at the same time as elections in North Carolina and Arkansas.

These votes mark the formal start of the 2026 midterm election cycle.