United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
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| U.S. Senate, Texas |
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 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary Republican primary runoff General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: December 8, 2025 |
| Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: May 26, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Likely Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
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James Talarico (D) defeated Jasmine Crockett (D) and Ahmad Hassan (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas on March 3, 2026. As of March 2026, Crockett and Talarico led the candidate field in polling, fundraising, and media attention.[1][2][3] Click here for detailed results.
In December 2025, The New York Times' J. David Goodman described the primary as a contrast of styles, saying Crockett "appeared to be betting that her brand of combative, progressive politics could win over Texas voters in large part by driving Democratic enthusiasm and turnout in the state’s major urban centers," while Talarico "[was] seeking to energize Democrats while also courting some disaffected Trump voters."[4] Writing the day of the primary, the Times' Nate Cohn wrote, "several polls show Mr. Talarico fares best among liberals, while Ms. Crockett fares better among moderates and conservatives. The candidates differ in important ways, but it’s not clear that ideology is one of them."[5]
Talarico was elected to the state House in 2018. Talarico worked as a middle school teacher before entering elected politics.[6] Writing in Politico, Adam Wren said Talarico's candidacy "sets up among the sharpest nationwide tests of whether a red-state candidate can run against the national party’s brand."[7] Talarico's campaign website said he was running "to fix what’s broken in our country and take back power for ourselves and our communities."[8]
Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. She earlier served two years in the state House and worked as an attorney in private practice.[9] NBC News' Bridget Bowman said Crockett "likely enters the race with relatively high name recognition, given her national profile as a vocal critic of Trump’s administration and Republicans."[10] Crockett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In her survey, Crockett said she was "a battle-tested fighter for affordability and accountability...As the only candidate with federal experience, I know how and when to fulfill those duties."[11]
As of March 2026, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Likely Republican.
In the 2024 election, incumbent Ted Cruz (R) defeated Colin Allred (D) 53%–45%. In 2020, incumbent John Cornyn (R) defeated M.J. Hegar (D) 54%–44%.
Jasmine Crockett (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election, and another two seats are up for special election. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22. As of January 2026, nine members of the U.S. Senate announced they are not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. Senate elections taking place this year, click here.
This page focuses on Texas' United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026
Election updates
This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election, such as debates, polls, and noteworthy endorsements.
- August 15, 2025
- August 19, 2025
Texas Southern University published results from a poll it had conducted of 1,500 likely voters between August 6 and August 12, 2025. The poll asked voters who they would support in hypothetical matchups between Allred and Talarico, Allred and Beto O'Rourke (D), and Allred and Joaquin Castro (D). The poll was conducted before Talarico entered the race.[13][14]
- October 9, 2025
The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs published results from a poll it had conducted of 478 registered voters between September 19 and October 1, 2025. The poll asked voters who they would support in a hypothetical matchup between Allred, Talarico, Jasmine Crockett (D), and Beto O'Rourke (D).[15][16]
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
James Talarico defeated Jasmine Crockett and Ahmad Hassan in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Talarico | 53.2 | 1,103,371 |
 | Jasmine Crockett  | 45.5 | 943,168 | |
 | Ahmad Hassan | 1.3 | 27,211 | |
| Total votes: 2,073,750 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Terry Virts (D)
- Colin Allred (D)
- Paula Williams (D)
- Michael Swanson (D)
- Emily Morgul (D)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Submitted Biography: "I am a skilled civil rights and criminal defense attorney with almost 20 years of trial experience, a small business owner, and former Bowie County Democratic Party Chair in East Texas. I was a public defender in Texarkana. I’ve served in the Texas House and was a founding member of the Texas Progressive Caucus to stand firm for the middle class and working families. In Congress, I’ve been a battle-tested fighter for affordability and accountability. The job of a United States Senator is to deliver for the people and to defend the constitution. As the only candidate with federal experience, I know how and when to fulfill those duties. We are living in unprecedented times, and we know that our current Senator will not speak up for Texans. I’ve served on the Agriculture, Judiciary, and Oversight and Accountability Committees in the House and worked to lower the cost of groceries, utilities and housing. I’ve fought to hold this government accountable to the people and be efficient with your tax dollars. My record is clear, both in Congress and in the Texas House; I know how to fight for real people. I will fight for your healthcare, your civil rights, your future, and your dreams. As your Senator, I will represent the best interest of all 30 million Texans. I will fight for strong schools, access to healthcare, high-paying jobs, and support for you to buy a home or start your small business."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2026.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Texas House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2018)
Biography: Talarico obtained a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in education from Harvard University. Before entering elected politics, Talarico taught middle school language arts at a public school in San Antonio.
Show sources
Sources: James Talarico campaign website, "Why I'm Running," accessed October 14, 2025; James Talarico campaign website, "Meet James Talarico," accessed October 14, 2025; James Talarico campaign website, "Meet James Talarico," accessed October 14, 2025; Facebook, "James Talarico on Facebook," accessed October 14, 2025
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2026.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Jasmine Crockett (D)
I’m fighting for affordable healthcare you can access in your own community. I’m the only candidate who supports Medicare For All which I proudly co-sponsor. This will bring down the cost of healthcare across the board, lower the price of prescriptions, and cover dental, vision, reproductive, and mental health. Texas leads the nation in uninsured people, maternal mortality, and we’ve closed more rural hospitals than any other state. I proudly co-sponsored the Affordable Insulin Now Act, the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act and the COVER Now Act which would allow counties to expand Medicaid when Republican governors choose to leave billions of our tax dollars in DC and deny you healthcare.
Immigration, foreign policy, and trade affect Texas more than other states. I support a secure, timely, and easy to navigate pathway to legal status and citizenship. I want to restore America’s standing as a global leader and build strong trade agreements with our allies. As the top state for exports we were hit the hardest by Trump’s unlawful tariffs. Our cattle ranchers and farmers are filing record bankruptcies while Trump bails out Argentina’s beef industry. These are just two examples of the President’s overreach and disastrous foreign policy that hurts Texans the most. This campaign is about kitchen table issues, economic stability, and restoring the foundational pillars of the American Dream for every Texan.
Jasmine Crockett (D)
Jasmine Crockett (D)
Campaign ads
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Jasmine Crockett
View more ads here:
James Talarico
View more ads here:
Debates and forums
This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.
January 24 debate
On January 24, 2026, Crockett and Talarico participated in a debate hosted by the Texas AFL-CIO.[25]
Click on the links below for summaries of the event:
- Associated Press
- Austin American-Statesman
- Axios
- CNN
- Dallas Observer
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- The Hill
- Houston Public Media
- KXAN
- NBC News
- The New York Times
- The Texas Tribune
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[26] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[27] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.
Below we provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing? Click here to let us know.
| Poll | Dates | Allred | Crockett | Hassan | Morgul | Swanson | Talarico | Virts | Undecided/Refused | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | -- | 40 | -- | -- | -- | 52 | -- | -- | 2 | 6 | 472 LV | ± 4.5% | ||
– | -- | 56 | -- | -- | -- | 44 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 369 RV | ± 5.1% | ||
– | -- | 47 | -- | -- | -- | 39 | -- | -- | 2 | 12 | 550 LV | ± 4.2% | ||
Texas Public Opinion Research Note"Other" includes respondents who said they would not vote. | – | -- | 38 | -- | -- | -- | 37 | -- | -- | 4 | 21 | 1,290 LV | ± 3.7% | |
– | -- | 46 | -- | -- | -- | 33 | -- | 21 | -- | -- | 1,005 LV | ± 3.2% | Jasmine Crockett | |
– | -- | 38 | 1 | -- | -- | 47 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 413 LV | ± 4.8% | N/A | |
Texas Southern University NoteHypothetical matchup between Crockett and Talarico. | – | -- | 51 | -- | -- | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 1,600 LV | ± 2.5% | |
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs NoteHypothetical four-way matchup between Allred, Talarico, Jasmine Crockett (D), and Beto O'Rourke (D). "Other" includes results for Crockett (31%) and O'Rourke (25%). | – | 13 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 25 | -- | -- | 56 | 6 | 478 RV | ± 4.5% | N/A |
– | 58 | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 34 | 370 RV | ± 5.1% | N/A | |
Texas Southern University (includes Castro) NoteHypothetical matchup between Allred and Joaquin Castro (D). "Other" includes results for Castro. | – | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 41 | 7 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (includes O'Rourke) NoteHypothetical matchup between Allred and Beto O'Rourke (D). "Other" includes results for O'Rourke. | – | 38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 58 | 4 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (includes Talarico) NoteHypothetical two-way matchup between Allred and Talarico. | – | 50 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
| Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters. | ||||||||||||||
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[28]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[29][30][31]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/17/2026 | 3/10/2026 | 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Campaign finance
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Crockett | Democratic Party | $8,577,757 | $5,092,872 | $3,484,885 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Ahmad Hassan | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| James Talarico | Democratic Party | $20,694,809 | $15,906,718 | $4,788,090 | As of February 11, 2026 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[32][33][34]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Note: As of February 25, 2026, Ahmad Hassan (D) had not filed as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission.
Texas U.S. Senate election history
2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Colin Allred, Ted Brown, Analisa Roche, and Tracy Andrus in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ted Cruz (R) | 53.1 | 5,990,741 |
 | Colin Allred (D) | 44.6 | 5,031,249 | |
 | Ted Brown (L) | 2.4 | 267,039 | |
 | Analisa Roche (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1,906 | |
 | Tracy Andrus (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 919 | |
| Total votes: 11,291,854 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dan McQueen (Independent)
- Mason Cysewski (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Colin Allred | 58.9 | 569,585 |
 | Roland Gutierrez | 16.6 | 160,978 | |
 | Mark A. Gonzalez | 8.8 | 85,228 | |
 | Meri Gomez | 4.6 | 44,166 | |
 | Carl Sherman Sr. | 3.3 | 31,694 | |
| Ahmad Hassan | 2.3 | 21,855 | |
 | Steve Keough | 2.3 | 21,801 | |
 | Heli Rodriguez Prilliman | 1.9 | 18,801 | |
 | Thierry Tchenko | 1.4 | 13,395 | |
| Total votes: 967,503 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zachariah Manning (D)
- Aaron Arguijo (D)
- Soren Pendragon (D)
- John Love III (D)
- Sherri Taylor (D)
- Victor D. Dunn (D)
- Tracy Andrus (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Holland Gibson and Rufus Lopez in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz | 88.3 | 1,977,961 |
| Holland Gibson | 6.0 | 134,011 | ||
| Rufus Lopez | 5.7 | 127,986 | ||
| Total votes: 2,239,958 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cody Andrews (R)
- Carlos Garza (R)
- Josiah Ingalls (R)
- Montgomery Markland (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Ted Brown advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Brown (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Mary Jennings Hegar, Kerry McKennon, David B. Collins, and Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Cornyn (R) | 53.5 | 5,962,983 |
 | Mary Jennings Hegar (D) | 43.9 | 4,888,764 | |
 | Kerry McKennon (L) | 1.9 | 209,722 | |
 | David B. Collins (G) | 0.7 | 81,893 | |
 | Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 678 | |
| Total votes: 11,144,040 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Arjun Srinivasan (Independent)
- Cedric Jefferson (People Over Politics Party)
- James Brumley (The Human Rights Party)
- Tim Smith (Independent)
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas
Mary Jennings Hegar defeated Royce West in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 52.2 | 502,516 |
 | Royce West | 47.8 | 459,457 | |
| Total votes: 961,973 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 22.3 | 417,160 |
| ✔ | | Royce West | 14.7 | 274,074 |
 | Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez | 13.2 | 246,659 | |
 | Annie Garcia | 10.3 | 191,900 | |
 | Amanda Edwards | 10.1 | 189,624 | |
 | Chris Bell | 8.5 | 159,751 | |
 | Sema Hernandez | 7.4 | 137,892 | |
 | Michael Cooper | 4.9 | 92,463 | |
 | Victor Harris | 3.2 | 59,710 | |
 | Adrian Ocegueda | 2.2 | 41,566 | |
 | Jack Daniel Foster Jr. | 1.7 | 31,718 | |
 | D.R. Hunter | 1.4 | 26,902 | |
| Total votes: 1,869,419 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Love III (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Dwayne Stovall, Mark Yancey, John Castro, and Virgil Bierschwale in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Cornyn | 76.0 | 1,470,669 |
 | Dwayne Stovall | 11.9 | 231,104 | |
 | Mark Yancey | 6.5 | 124,864 | |
 | John Castro | 4.5 | 86,916 | |
 | Virgil Bierschwale | 1.1 | 20,494 | |
| Total votes: 1,934,047 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Green convention
Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas
David B. Collins advanced from the Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | David B. Collins (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Kerry McKennon advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on August 3, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry McKennon (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke and Neal Dikeman in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz (R) | 50.9 | 4,260,553 |
 | Beto O'Rourke (D) | 48.3 | 4,045,632 | |
 | Neal Dikeman (L) | 0.8 | 65,470 | |
| Total votes: 8,371,655 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bob McNeil (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Beto O'Rourke defeated Sema Hernandez and Edward Kimbrough in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Beto O'Rourke | 61.8 | 640,769 |
| Sema Hernandez | 23.7 | 245,847 | |
| Edward Kimbrough | 14.5 | 149,851 | ||
| Total votes: 1,036,467 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Mary Miller, Bruce Jacobson Jr., Stefano de Stefano, and Geraldine Sam in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz | 85.3 | 1,315,146 |
 | Mary Miller | 6.1 | 94,274 | |
 | Bruce Jacobson Jr. | 4.2 | 64,452 | |
 | Stefano de Stefano | 2.9 | 44,251 | |
| Geraldine Sam | 1.5 | 22,767 | ||
| Total votes: 1,540,890 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Texas in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Democratic or Republican | 5,000 | $5,000.00 | 12/8/2025 | Source |
| Texas | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | 12/8/2025 | Source |
2026 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This is a battleground election. Other 2026 battleground elections include:
- California's 40th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)
- United States Senate election in Illinois, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)
- Michigan's 7th Congressional District election, 2026
See also
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States Senate elections, 2026
- U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2026
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KXAN, "New poll: US Senate primary races in Texas are neck and neck," October 10, 2025
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Talarico outraises Allred with massive fundraising haul to kick off Senate Democratic primary," October 1, 2025
- ↑ WFAA, "How does a Democrat strategist see the Texas Senate race unfolding after Talarico's entry?" September 16, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Jasmine Crockett Enters U.S. Senate Race in Texas, Reshaping Democratic Primary," December 8, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Crockett vs. Talarico. Progressive vs. Moderate. Right?" March 3, 2026
- ↑ Texas House of Representatives, "Rep. Talarico, James - Biography," accessed October 30, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "‘Bet it on the underdog’: Talarico officially enters the Texas Senate primary," September 9, 2025
- ↑ James Talarico campaign website, "Why I'm Running," accessed March 2, 2026
- ↑ Jasmine Crockett campaign website, "About," accessed December 9, 2025
- ↑ NBC News, "Rep. Jasmine Crockett launches Senate run in Texas, shaking up Democratic primary," December 8, 2025
- ↑ Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia on February 25, 2026.
- ↑ Emerson College, "Texas 2026 Poll: Cornyn and Paxton in Dead Heat for GOP Senate Nomination," August 15, 2025
- ↑ Google Drive, "Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center: The 2026 Texas U.S. Senate Republican & Democratic Primaries," accessed October 15, 2025
- ↑ Houston Public Media, "John Cornyn narrowing Ken Paxton’s lead in GOP Senate primary, Texas Southern University poll shows," August 19, 2025
- ↑ University of Houston, "University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs Texas Trends 2025: Election 2026," accessed October 15, 2025
- ↑ University of Houston, "UH – TSU Survey Finds Paxton, Cornyn in Virtual Tie for Republican Senate Nomination," October 9, 2025
- ↑ DocumentCloud, "The 2026 Texas Democratic U.S. Senate Primary," December 11, 2025
- ↑ Emerson College, "Texas 2026 Poll: Talarico Leads Crockett for Democratic Senate Nomination, Cornyn and Paxton Face Potential Runoff," January 15, 2026
- ↑ Texas AFL-CIO, "Crockett, Talarico Face Off at Texas AFL-CIO U.S. Senate Debate," January 24, 2026
- ↑ Google Drive, "EMBARGO 12:15pm CT 1/29: TPOR January Deck .pdf," accessed February 11, 2026
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2026 Election United States Senate – Texas," accessed February 3, 2026
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2026 Election United States Senate – Texas," accessed February 25, 2026
- ↑ The Texas Politics Project, "Competition Remains Fierce in Both U.S. Senate Primaries in Texas, According to Latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll." February 23, 2026
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Kamala Harris makes last-minute pitch for Jasmine Crockett with robocall," February 27, 2026
- ↑ Texas AFL-CIO, "Crockett, Talarico Face Off at Texas AFL-CIO U.S. Senate Debate," January 24, 2026
- ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
