Voting nears to a close in Texas primary that may be crucial to control of the Senate : NPR
A “VOTE” sign is posted Tuesday near a voting center in Austin, Texas.
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Two of the most closely watched elections this election night are the primaries for a Texas Senate seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
The Republican and Democratic primaries provide a potential litmus test for which direction rank-and-file voters want their parties to go ahead of this fall’s midterm elections that will determine power in Congress.
Cornyn, a staunch conservative, hopes to fend off his two primary challengers: Ken Paxton, the state’s often embattled attorney general, and Congressman Wesley Hunt.
Both challengers say they are more aligned with President Trump and the current state of the Republican Party, which has continued its shift to the right over the past decade. Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002, has regularly voted for the president during his term.
Sen. John Cornyn, left, hopes to fend off a challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Appel via Getty Images
To win, one or the other candidate must obtain more than 50% of the votes. Given that all three candidates have garnered significant support in the polls, it is likely that this race will end in a runoff in May.
If Cornyn were to lose this primary, the lack of an incumbent could create a unique opportunity for Democrats, who hope to flip enough Republican-held seats in the House to regain the majority.
The Democratic primary
Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Austin-area state Rep. James Talarico are each hoping to secure the Democratic nomination.
Crockett announced his Senate run after Texas Republicans redrew the state’s congressional lines at Trump’s request last year. She was one of a handful of Democrats primarily from their constituencies who previously favored Democrats.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, left, and James Talarico, a state lawmaker from the Austin area, are each vying for the Democratic nomination in hopes of flipping Cornyn’s seat blue.
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Paul Sancya/AP; Mark Félix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Crockett’s next move was closely watched, as it had garnered much attention during her time in Congress as a lawmaker willing to verbally spar with her Republican colleagues.
His decision to run upended a primary race in which Talarico was already competing. Talarico was first elected to the Texas House in 2018 by flipping a seat held by Republicans for years. Talarico, a seminarian, often invokes his faith — which he hopes will reach voters the Democratic Party doesn’t often speak to.
At first, the race between the two Democrats was cordial, but as Election Day approached — and more money and attention flowed in — the fight between the two Democrats heated up. This is even though the two candidates agree on most issues and policies.
Where they part ways is which strategy is best equipped to turn Texas blue. While Talarico has sought to present her campaign as being able to win over moderates and disenchanted Republicans, Crockett is betting she can win by increasing Democratic turnout.
The election could also provide insight into whether Republicans maintain the gains they have made among Latino voters, increasingly influential in Texas, in the 2024 elections. Polls have shown that Latinos in the state, as well as across the country, are beginning to retreat from the Republican Party due to concerns about the economy and immigration enforcement.
