Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn for U.S. Senate GOP nomination
The attorney general’s victory is a crushing blow to the Texas GOP’s old guard, which has faltered in recent years against the Paxton-led insurgent wing.
Colin Allred tops Julie Johnson in redistricting-driven runoff battle of Dallas Democrats
Johnson succeeded Allred in Congress, but Republican redistricting pushed them into an unusual primary confrontation for the 33rd Congressional District.
Vikki Goodwin defeats Houston union leader in lieutenant governor Democratic runoff
The Austin lawmaker now faces an uphill battle against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the state’s second-highest executive, in November.
Ex-NFL linebacker poised to return to Congress after Texas runoff win with Jasmine Crockett endorsement
Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, is poised to secure a comeback bid for Congress after winning a hotly contested Democratic primary Tuesday. Allred defeated Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, in a runoff election for a recently redrawn House seat Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. The victor is almost certain to win the November general election for the deep-blue district. Republicans redrew the Dallas-based seat to make it even more Democratic last year while passing a new congressional map designed to help the GOP flip as many as five seats. The primary contest turned negative as both candidates fought to keep their political careers alive in one of the few remaining Texas House seats where Democrats still hold an advantage. REDISTRICTING HELPS REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS FLIP HOUSE SEATS Democratic Texas Rep. Marc Veasey, the district’s incumbent, chose not to run for re-election, prompting Johnson to join the race after Republicans effectively drew her out of her district. Johnson, a freshman lawmaker, succeeded Allred in Congress after he vacated the seat to mount a failed bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2024. Allred decided to challenge Johnson for the open House seat in late 2025 after suspending his 2026 Senate campaign when it failed to gain traction. The former NFL linebacker later endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, during the final months of the Senate primary contest after accusing state Rep. James Talarico, Crockett’s opponent, of making a racist remark about him that he allegedly said during a private phone call with a party activist. Talarico, the Democratic Party’s Senate nominee, vigorously denied calling Allred a “mediocre Black man” and said his private remarks referred to the former congressman’s campaign style. TEXAS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE’S ‘MEDIOCRE’ COMMENT ROCKS RACE Crockett endorsed Allred in April and appeared with him on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Talarico publicly supported Johnson’s campaign. Johnson was also backed by House Democratic leadership, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among other groups. Allred likely benefited from higher name recognition due to previous statewide runs and a significant fundraising advantage. He emerged as the top vote-getter during the March 3 primary, leading Johnson by an 11-point margin. However, the former congressman failed to secure more than 50% of the vote, sending the race to a runoff election.
Trump-backed Air Force veteran wins GOP runoff in newly-redistricted House district
President Donald Trump’s endorsed House Republican candidate for Texas’ 35th Congressional District is projected to win his race against longtime San Antonio state lawmaker John Lujan. Carlos de la Cruz, an Air Force veteran, is the brother of Trump ally Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, in a nearby district. The de la Cruzes could be the next in a rare historical line of siblings serving together in the House of Representatives. One of America’s first congressional leaders served with his brother as well. Inaugural House Speaker Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania served alongside Rep. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania in the 1780s and 1790s. HOUSE CANDIDATE PREDICTS HISTORIC RISE OF ‘NEW GENERATION’ IN CONGRESS AS PARTIES TARGET KEY DEMOGRAPHIC The three Washburn brothers — Israel of Maine, Elihu of Illinois and Cadwallader of Wisconsin — all served together in the 1850s and 1860s, while more recently sisters Loretta and Linda Sanchez — both California Democrats — found themselves in the same chamber in the early part of this century. De La Cruz and Lujan are competing for the newly redrawn district, which is currently represented numerically by “Squad” member Rep. Gregorio Casar of the Austin area. Casar, however, chose to run in an adjacent district that encompasses part of his current district after that officeholder, fellow Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, elected not to run for re-election contingent on Texas’ new map passing legal muster. The new district stretches south to San Antonio and is considered much more Trump-friendly than in past elections. Lujan originally won the March primary 33%-27% over De La Cruz, who finished second and advanced to Tuesday’s contest. De La Cruz was deployed to the Middle East and Mexican border, and also has the endorsement of both his sister and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. WATCH: HOUSE DEMS UNLOAD ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT OVER ‘DEMENTED’ ANTISEMITIC COMMENTS Lujan is a longtime state lawmaker with deep familiarity in the district, while the real controversy is on the Democratic side of the ticket. Democratic primary candidate Maureen Galindo, who lost Tuesday night, received nationwide backlash, including from her own party, for floating the idea of using an ICE detention center in her district to instead imprison wealthy “Zionists.” The rhetoric and plans were called out as grossly antisemitic by Democrats ranging from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the far left to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats from New York City. Democrats are still reportedly bullish on their prospects in the more Trump-friendly seat, which is also majority Hispanic, come November.
Controversial Democrat who called for ‘Zionists’ to be imprisoned toppled after backlash
Democrat Maureen Galindo, a South Texas sex therapist who drew nationwide ire from Democratic Party leaders, was defeated in her primary runoff against Bexar County Sheriff’s Office official Johnny Garcia, according to the Associated Press. The seat, newly drawn following Texas Republicans’ redistricting effort, is currently represented by “Squad” member Rep. Gregorio Casar. However, the liberal lawmaker is running in an adjacent district being vacated by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, leaving the now red-leaning seat up for grabs. Galindo became a national flashpoint when she was accused of antisemitism for floating a plan to imprison “American Zionists” at an ICE detention center in the district while pushing back on suggestions she was trying to create an “internment camp.” Galindo shocked observers when she edged out Garcia in the original March primary, which led to Tuesday’s runoff. WATCH: HOUSE DEMS UNLOAD ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT OVER ‘DEMENTED’ ANTISEMITIC COMMENTS Garcia, meanwhile, condemned Galindo’s comments and partially blamed Republicans for bolstering her name recognition. Garcia is a San Antonio native and has experience working as a police deputy, a SWAT hostage negotiator and a public information officer — the official tasked with speaking to the press and making public appearances. His campaign was framed around his self-description as an old-school Democrat and was viewed as the more moderate choice in Tuesday’s contest. Two Republicans are also vying for the seat in the Republican primary — one of whom is a relative of nearby GOP Rep. Monica de la Cruz. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN TELLS TEXAS DEMOCRAT TO ‘BRING IT’ AFTER HER CHILLING THREAT TO JAIL ICE AGENTS With the 35th District redrawn in Republicans’ favor, Democrats appeared to view Galindo’s candidacy as a catastrophic liability. Her rhetoric has since been condemned by members of the far left of her party, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party,” Jeffries and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a joint statement, adding, “To embrace and uplift a fringe candidate with antisemitic — and extremely dangerous — rhetoric and views in order to win an election is beyond the pale.” “Texans will not be fooled and will reject her at the ballot box next week,” they added. Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Texas MAGA battle ends with Middleton victory as Chip Roy falls short in AG Race
A Republican state senator who spotlighted his support for President Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda is one step closer to succeeding Ken Paxton as Texas attorney general. State Sen. Mayes Middleton on Tuesday defeated Rep. Chip Roy, one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House, for the Republican attorney general nomination in Texas, the Associated Press reports. The ballot-box battle between Roy and Middleton, the president of an independent oil and gas company, turned bitter and expensive, and partially became a test of which candidate was more of a fighter for Trump and his America First and MAGA movements. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Middleton, who edged Roy in the March primary, dished out roughly $17 million of his own money to back his campaign. But Roy, a former Texas assistant attorney general and former chief of staff to conservative Sen. Ted Cruz, received a late surge in fundraising from major backers. “We’ve gotten the financial support necessary to compete with my self-funder opponent, who’s got his inheritance money that he can just spend,” Roy highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the runoff. Roy argued that Middleton’s lack of courtroom experience would make him a poor attorney general. “Having been the first assistant attorney general makes me ready on day one, but it’s also that I’ve been a prosecutor, I’ve been in court, I’ve sat in front of a judge, stood in front of a judge, argued cases, and he has never done any of those things. And we think those things should matter,” Roy emphasized. TED CRUZ ENDORSES CHIP ROY FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: ‘NO ONE BETTER’ Middleton pushed back, questioning Roy’s conservative credentials and running ads claiming Roy’s “betrayed MAGA” as he pointed to the times the congressman has broken with Trump over policy. “Chip Roy is someone that has spent a decade fighting the president. He actually said President Trump committed impeachable conduct on the House floor,” Middleton told Fox News Digital. “Instead of spending 10 years fighting President Trump, what have I done? I’ve spent 10 years fighting to defeat the left, which is what matters the most in this race.” TEXAS REP CHIP ROY ANNOUNCES RUN FOR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REPLACE KEN PAXTON But Roy, in response, said, “Everyone knows that I’m a longtime defender and supporter of the president’s agenda, of the America First agenda, the MAGA agenda, but I’m also an independent thinker who will stand up and make the case.” And pointing to Middleton, Roy charged, “MAGA is not something you just buy. My opponent thinks you can buy the brand.” Middleton returned fire, arguing, “Chip Roy is putting out there that he is a top ally to President Trump when the exact opposite is the case.” Trump stayed neutral in the runoff showdown. Middleton will likely face Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson, who came close to clinching his party’s nomination in the primary. Johnson was facing off against former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. Paxton decided against seeking re-election, as he ran for the Republican Senate nomination against longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn.
Trump flexes endorsement power as Army combat vet wins Texas GOP runoff
Alex Mealer, an Army combat veteran and energy executive backed by President Donald Trump, is one step closer to winning election to the House. Mealer defeated state Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Texas, in a GOP primary runoff election for a Houston-based congressional seat Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. The matchup in the solidly Republican district was another test of Trump’s endorsement power, which has proven to be decisive in several high-profile races this year. The president endorsed Mealer shortly before the first round of voting in March, during which she emerged as the top vote-getter with 36% of the vote. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS CROWDED GOP PRIMARY IN BATTLE FOR VACANT HOUSE SEAT Mealer notably received a boost from the conservative Club for Growth, which is frequently one of the top spenders in GOP primaries. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also backed her campaign. Because Mealer did not secure a majority of the vote, the race went to a runoff election against Cain, who came in second and notched 31% of the vote. Cain has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2017 and was endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas. He is viewed as one of the most conservative members of the state legislature and has touted endorsements from the National Rifle Association (NRA), Concerned Women for America, Young Republicans of Texas and the Texas Homeschool Coalition PAC, among other Republican-aligned groups. HOUSE DEMOCRAT WHO HAS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO IMPEACH TRUMP HEADS TO RUNOFF ELECTION AMID TIGHT PRIMARY The primary winner will face environmental activist Leticia Gutierrez in the general election. The newly redrawn seat is widely expected to flip to Republican control and is rated noncompetitive by the Cook Political Report. Trump would have carried the district by nearly 20 points in 2024. Republicans redrew the Democratic-heavy seat last year as part of a GOP-friendly gerrymander that effectively ousted Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, from the district he had represented for more than two decades. Green ultimately chose to challenge Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, for Houston’s lone Democratic seat, which also went to a runoff election Tuesday. Mealer narrowly lost a bid for Harris County Judge in 2022 against Judge Lina Hidalgo. She also received the president’s backing during that campaign.
Trump-backed mortgage banker defeats pilot in GOP primary runoff to replace Wesley Hunt
Trump-backed Republican Jon Bonck won the GOP runoff Tuesday for Texas’ 38th Congressional District, putting him on track to succeed Rep. Wesley Hunt in a solidly Republican Houston-area seat. Bonck defeated Shelly deZevallos, a pilot and president of the West Houston Airport, after finishing far ahead of the March primary field but falling just short of the majority needed to win the nomination outright. He led the first round with 47.7% of the vote, while deZevallos advanced to the runoff with 18.6%, according to Ballotpedia’s results from the early-March primary contest. TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS OVER TEXAS RACE AS HUNT ACCUSES CORNYN OF BETRAYAL Bonck will advance to face Democrat Melissa McDonough in the November general election, though Republicans are expected to be heavily favored in Texas’ 38th Congressional District, with Cook Political Report rating the Houston-area seat Solid Republican. The race became an open-seat contest after Hunt, who was first elected in 2022, opted against seeking another House term and instead launched a U.S. Senate bid. Bonck graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a degree in biochemistry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is currently a mortgage industry manager in the Houston area. TEXAS DEM NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO INVOKES FAITH TO DEFEND ABORTION RIGHTS, ‘THE BIBLE IS SILENT ON ABORTION’ Endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Bonck campaigned as a Christian conservative, family man and described himself on his campaign website as “not a political celebrity” but rather a “servant leader.” He also touts endorsements from Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, on his campaign website. In a candidate questionnaire, from earlier this month ahead of the runoff, Bonck listed affordability, immigration and public safety as the three biggest challenges facing the Houston-area district he is hoping to represent. Meanwhile, he said putting America first “means securing the border, stopping blank checks to foreign countries, cutting waste and regulation, lowering costs, and empowering families.” Bonck also added that government “should get out of the way so small businesses can grow and parents can lead their children’s education and healthcare decisions.”
Texas Democrats pick lieutenant governor nominee to challenge GOP incumbent Dan Patrick
DALLAS — Texas Democratic voters selected state Rep. Vikki Goodwin as their nominee for lieutenant governor Tuesday night, defeating Marcos Vélez in the party’s primary runoff and setting up a November showdown against Republican incumbent Dan Patrick. The contest became a test of what direction Texas Democrats want to take in the general election. Goodwin, who took office in 2019, campaigned on boosting public school funding and teacher pay, expanding Medicaid, investing in water infrastructure and repealing Texas’ abortion ban. Meanwhile, Vélez, who worked in Texas refineries and is a member of the United Steelworkers union, centered his campaign on property tax relief, raising the minimum wage and affordability measures aimed at working families and seniors. ‘PUT US DOWN FOR KEN PAXTON’: TRUMP ENDORSEMENT ENERGIZES TEXAS VOTERS AHEAD OF RUNOFF The lieutenant governor’s office presides over the Senate, controls the chamber’s agenda, appoints committee chairs and can break tie votes — powers that give the position major influence over which bills reach the governor’s desk. The lieutenant governor also helps craft the state budget as co-chair of the Legislative Budget Board and serves on the Legislative Redistricting Board, which redraws political maps if lawmakers fail to do so. Polls closed across Texas at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with turnout expected to be significantly lower than during the March primary election. TRUMP FLEXES MAGA MUSCLE IN TEXAS SENATE RUNOFF CLASH BETWEEN CORNYN AND PAXTON During his decade as lieutenant governor, Patrick has pushed the Legislature steadily to the right and built a strong network of Republican allies within the Senate. Political observers say his defeat in November would create a major power vacuum in Texas Republican politics and significantly reshape dynamics inside the Legislature. Still, while the lieutenant governor currently holds sweeping authority, much of that power comes from Senate rules approved at the start of each legislative session. If a Democrat were to win office in November, the Republican-controlled Senate could move to rewrite those rules and reduce the lieutenant governor’s powers, potentially altering how the chamber operates.