AUSTIN, Texas (March 4, 2026) — In a stunning result that reshapes the battle for Texas’s open Senate seat, state Rep. Trey Talarico has won the Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, according to results with more than half of the votes counted.
Talarico held a commanding lead of 53% to Crockett’s 46%, powered by an unprecedented surge in early voting. More than 1.5 million early ballots were cast in the Democratic primary — the first time in over a decade that Democratic early voting has outpaced Republican turnout in a statewide contest.
On the Republican side, neither incumbent Sen. John Cornyn nor Attorney General Ken Paxton reached the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. The two will face off in a May 26 runoff that is expected to be one of the most expensive and contentious in recent Texas history.
The results were clouded by last-minute chaos in Dallas County, where technical glitches caused confusion at polling places. Election officials briefly extended voting hours for Democratic precincts before the Texas Supreme Court quickly intervened and ordered polls closed at the normal time.
Rep. Crockett immediately cried foul, telling supporters the move amounted to voter suppression. “They changed the rules in the middle of the game because they didn’t like the way the votes were looking,” she said in a fiery statement. State election officials pushed back, insisting the extensions were an honest attempt to fix malfunctioning equipment and that no evidence of intentional wrongdoing had been found.
Political analysts described Talarico’s victory as a major shift in Texas Democratic politics. The 38-year-old progressive from Round Rock, who rose to prominence during the 2023 House floor protests, ran a disciplined grassroots campaign that mobilized younger voters and suburban women.
“Tonight Texas Democrats sent a clear message: we’re done with the same old politics,” Talarico told cheering supporters at his victory party in Austin. “We’re ready to fight for a Senate seat that truly represents every corner of this state.”
Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, and Paxton, the state’s most prominent conservative firebrand, both claimed momentum heading into the runoff. Cornyn highlighted his experience and bipartisan deal-making ability, while Paxton vowed to “finish the job of draining the swamp in Washington.”
With the general election still eight months away, both parties are now turning their attention to a high-stakes May runoff on the GOP side and what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive November matchup between Talarico and the eventual Republican nominee.
