Supreme Court orders Dallas County to separate votes; Williamson County extends hours
Dallas and Williamson counties closed centralized voting centers, which had become a common practice, at the request of local Republicans.
DA won’t refer police who killed Austin shooter to grand jury
Travis County District Attorney José Garza faced intense criticism over a policy that would have sent the officers before a grand jury, before he said his office would not seek charges against “heroes.”
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick easily win their Republican primaries
Abbott and Patrick are both seeking their fourth four-year terms in their respective offices.
14 measles cases reported at El Paso ICE tent camp as Democrats call for its shuttering
The latest outbreak comes after a spate of COVID-19 and tuberculosis cases were reported at Camp East Montana, which holds more than 3,000 immigrants.
James Talarico takes early lead over Jasmine Crockett in blockbuster Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Tuesday’s primary is being widely watched as an indicator of the potential future of the Texas Democratic Party, with the two candidates putting forth vastly different visions of the kind of politics needed to win statewide.
John Cornyn, Ken Paxton neck and neck with early voting in major counties
The two appear headed for a May runoff, with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt trailing in a distant third.
For Texas’ highest courts, two Democratic races decided, one GOP race goes to runoff
Maggie Ellis and Kristen Hawkins win Texas Supreme Court Dem primaries. John Messinger wins his GOP race for Court of Criminal Appeals, while Alison Fox and Thomas Smith head to a runoff.
Combustible Republican Senate primary in Texas heading into overtime
AUSTIN, TEXAS – The expensive and contentious battle for the Republican Senate nomination in Texas is headed to a May runoff, after none of the three major candidates in the crowded field of contenders topped 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election. Longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn will face off with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after they finished in the top two in the primary, with Rep. Wesley Hunt in third place, the Associated Press reports. The winner will face off with either rising star state Rep. James Talarcio or progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal critic and foil of President Donald Trump, who were vying for the Democratic Senate nomination. Both are trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas. This year’s Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the chamber 53-47. IT’S SHOWDOWN DAY IN TEXAS AS COMBUSTIBLE BATTLES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC AND GOP SENATE NOMINATIONS COME TO A HEAD The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs spent nearly $100 million to run ads attacking Paxton and Hunt, with the senator charging in the closing weeks of the primary campaign that Democrats will flip the seat in the general election if Paxton’s the GOP’s nominee. Cornyn, his allies, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce. TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE ROCKS SENATE PRIMARIES IN TEXAS “If I’m the nominee, I’ll help President Trump by making sure that we carry the five new congressional seats as well as maintain this Senate seat and will help him continue his agenda through the last two years of his term of office,” Cornyn touted in a Fox News Digital interview on Sunday. And, he argued, “If the Democrats win, because we nominate a flawed candidate with incredible baggage like the attorney general, then that last two years of [Trump’s] agenda is jeopardized, as well as everybody down ballot that we need to continue to elect as Republicans.” Speaking to reporters on primary night, Cornyn emphasized, “Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office.” “Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton,” Cornyn vowed. PAXTON DEMANDS STRICTER VETTING AFTER DEADLY TEXAS RAMPAGE Paxton, a MAGA firebrand who grabbed significant national attention by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, pushed back, telling Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary that “I’m 3-0. I’ve won three statewide races.” Pointing to public opinion polls suggesting he has the edge over Cornyn, Paxton argued, “it’s really easy for him to say that when he’s losing a primary, because he’s not delivered for the people of Texas, and he’s going to find out tomorrow what that means. He’s going to end up losing.” “This idea that I can’t win a race is not true… there’s no evidence of what he’s saying is being true. As a matter of fact, the evidence is just the opposite,” Paxton added. On primary night, as he looked ahead to the runoff election, Paxton told supporters, “As we head into this runoff, we’re going to make the choice even clearer. While John Cornyn was cutting deals on gun control and amnesty, I was suing corrupt Joe Biden over 107 times.” Paxton was boosted a few weeks ago by an endorsement from the political wing of Turning Point USA, the powerful grassroots conservative organization that was long steered by the late Charlie Kirk. The GOP nomination battle was a two-person race until Hunt, a West Point graduate and military veteran who flew helicopters during his service and who represents a solidly red district in suburban Houston, announced his candidacy last autumn. “I think there’s going to be a runoff, no matter what happens,” Cornyn predicted on Sunday. Paxton, speaking to supporters on primary eve, touted that “if we go to a runoff, the odds get better for me,” as he pointed to what will likely be a smaller electorate for the May 26 runoff. Hunt, in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary, argued that he’s “the best candidate to win the primary and win the general.” TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE ROCKS TEXAS SENATE RACE AS DEMS DEMAND ‘WAR POWERS,’ GOP APPLAUDS PRESIDENT And pointing to the negative ads from Cornyn and his allies that have targeted him the past couple of weeks, Hunt said, “They have spent tens of millions of dollars against me in the state of Texas, which means that I must be doing the right thing, and I must be a threat. DC will not decide who will be the next senator from Texas. Texans will and that’s why I got in this race.” Hunt fell far short of his goal. But in his concession speech, Hunt teased, “This will not be the last time you see my name on a ballot. I can assure you. We’ve learned some valuable lessons, have some valuable knowledge.” Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, stayed neutral in the Republican primary race. All three candidates, who sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance Friday as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas. “They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.” Trump also complimented Hunt, and said that all three contenders were engaged
New York AG orders Manhattan hospital to resume gender-transition treatment for transgender youth
New York Attorney General Letitia James is instructing a Manhattan hospital to resume offering gender-transition treatment to transgender youth after it ended such treatments last month over funding threats from the Trump administration. NYU Langone’s decision to close its Transgender Youth Health Program violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws by “jeopardizing access to medically necessary healthcare for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” James wrote in a Feb. 25 letter first made public this week. James’ office threatened “further action” if the hospital does not immediately resume offering hormone therapies, puberty blockers and other treatment to transgender youth. TOP NEW YORK HOSPITAL TO END TRANSGENDER PROGRAM FOR MINORS NYU Langone, one of the city’s largest hospital systems, said last month it would stop providing certain gender-transition treatments for patients under the age of 19. “Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,” NYU Langone spokesman Steve Ritea said in a statement at the time. “We are committed to helping patients in our care manage this change. This does not impact our pediatric mental health care programs, which will continue.” The hospital ceased admitting new patients into its transgender youth program last year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which aims to restrict gender-transition treatment for people under 19. Referencing Trump’s order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services later announced a proposal to cut federal Medicaid and Medicare funding to hospitals that provide these treatments to transgender youth. But the Feb. 25 letter signed by the attorney general’s health care bureau chief, Darsana Srinivasan, said the proposal did not officially change federal law and did not affect a “medical institution’s existing duties and obligations under New York law.” “The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes,” Srinivasan wrote. “Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.” LETITIA JAMES SUES HHS OVER TYING FEDERAL FUNDS TO TRANSGENDER POLICY The letter gives the hospital until March 11 to show its compliance, although it is unclear what steps would be taken if it fails to resume the treatments. Several other hospitals across the country have also halted transgender youth treatments following Trump’s executive order and funding threats. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Suspect arrested outside Paxton HQ with ammo in car following disturbance
Ahead of the polls closing in Texas Tuesday, on the first major primary night of the 2026 midterms, a suspect in possession of ammo was arrested outside GOP candidate Ken Paxton’s Dallas headquarters around 5:15 p.m., later found to be making a delivery to an employee. The incident follows what officials are investigating as a terror-related mass shooting outside an Austin bar, by a man who was in possession of an Iranian flag and who was wearing a shirt that read “Property of Allah.” Video of the Tuesday early-evening incident shows ammo being placed on the hood of a car as they searched the vehicle in question. The suspect handcuffed can also be seen. Following an interview with the suspect, investigators determined the individual was at the location to make a delivery to an employee. He was transported to the Dallas County Jail without incident. AUSTIN BAR SHOOTING VICTIMS NAMED AS FBI INVESTIGATES POTENTIAL TERRORISM NEXUS The arrest came after Dallas police officers were called to the 3000 block of Fairmount Street due to reports of a “suspicious individual,” according to authorities. The suspect reportedly entered a vehicle that did not have license plates properly displayed and proceeded to leave the area. Officers then conducted a traffic stop and the driver was subsequently arrested for traffic violations. After police searched the suspect’s vehicle, they found ammunition inside the car. Tuesday marked the first major primary night of the 2026 midterms, which will culminate with a slew of general elections in November. TEXAS DA SAYS NO CHARGES FOR POLICE IN TERROR ATTACK RESPONSE AMID CRITICISM OF MANDATORY GRAND JURY REVIEW Texas is facing some contentious primaries Tuesday, including Paxton’s U.S. Senate race and a slew of important House races. After calls from Democrats to extend voting hours Tuesday, a judge decided to keep them open an extra two hours until 9:00 p.m. The extension followed chaos because local Republican parties refused to hold joint primaries with Democrats, creating changes in typical ballot casting structures, according to the Associated Press. Paxton is facing up against longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has held the seat since 2002. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, is also in the race and will likely force a runoff race, experts have indicated. Due to the likelihood of a runoff, the results probably will take several weeks for the Texas GOP Senate primary.