United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)
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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 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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Incumbent John Cornyn (R) and Ken Paxton (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas on May 26, 2026. Cornyn and Paxton were the top two finishers in the March 3 primary. The race advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote. As of March 5, 2026, Cornyn led Paxton 42.5%–40.8% in unofficial tallies of the March 3 primary results.
Axios' Nicole Cobler said the runoff "extends one of the most consequential primaries in the country and sets up a bruising fight for the GOP Senate nomination."[1] CNN's David Wright said "[m]any national Republicans and allies of Thune believe Cornyn is their safest bet on retaining the Senate seat in reliably red Texas. But Paxton, the three-term state attorney general, has a record of backing Trump – notably on his debunked claims of election fraud that preceded January 6 – and strong ties to the state Republican grassroots."[2]
Writing in Politico, Liz Crampton said the primary results "showed some surprising strength for Cornyn, who had trailed Paxton in most public polls and whose allies were worried might finish far behind the MAGA firebrand...[indicating] the four-term senator still has a real chance to retain his seat in late May."[3] Punchbowl News wrote that "the runoff dynamics favor Paxton. The electorate in a runoff is smaller and much more conservative. It’s the hard-core activist types who show up to vote the day after Memorial Day."[4]
On March 4, 2026, President Donald Trump (R) said he would issue an endorsement in the runoff and would call on the other candidate to withdraw from the race.[5]
Cornyn was first elected to the Senate in 2002. He earlier served as state attorney general and on the Texas Supreme Court. Cornyn says he has delivered for Texas while in office and was running for re-election "so President Trump and I can pick-up where we left off."[6] The Texas Tribune's Gabby Birenbaum described Cornyn's message in the runoff as "saying that Paxton would be laden down by his history of legal and personal baggage if he is the nominee, costing Republicans untold millions in the general election that could be spent in more competitive states."[5] Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R) and the National Border Patrol Council endorsed Cornyn.
Paxton was elected Texas Attorney General in 2014. He was also a member of the Texas House for ten years and of the Texas Senate for two. Birenbaum described Paxton's message in the runoff as "[arguing] that his grassroots support among the MAGA base of the party will make it easier for Republicans to turn out the lower-propensity members of Trump’s coalition who tend to stay home when the president is not on the ballot and counteract Democratic enthusiasm."[5] U.S. Reps. Lance Gooden (R) and Troy Nehls (R) endorsed Paxton.
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, Cornyn defeated M.J. Hegar (D) 54%–44%.
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 Republican primary runoff. For more in-depth information on the state's Democratic and Republican primaries and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026
Recent updates
This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election, such as debates, polls, and noteworthy endorsements. Know of something we missed? Let us know.
- March 3, 2026
John Cornyn (R) and Ken Paxton (R) advanced from the Republican primary with 43% and 41% of the vote, respectively. The race went to a runoff since neither received more than 50% of the vote. Wesley Hunt (R) followed with 13% of the vote. No other candidate received more than 2% of the vote.
- February 23, 2026
- February 19, 2026
Candidates submitted campaign finance reports covering their fundraising and spending through February 11, 2026. As of that date, Cornyn had raised $11.2 million, Hunt had raised $2.0 million, and Paxton had raised $5.9 million.[18]
Candidates and election results
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn and Ken Paxton are running in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas on May 26, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | John Cornyn | |
 | Ken Paxton | |
| ||||
 = 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. | ||||
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: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2002)
- Texas Attorney General (1999–2002)
- Texas Supreme Court (1990–1997)
- Bexar County District Court (1984–1990)
Biography: Cornyn obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism from Trinity University, a law degree from St. Mary's University, and a master of laws degree from the University of Virginia.
Show sources
Sources: John Cornyn campaign website, "On The Issues," accessed October 21, 2025; John Cornyn campaign website, "THE TRUMP-CORNYN RECORD," accessed October 21, 2025; John Cornyn campaign website, "Meet Senator Cornyn," accessed October 21, 2025; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "CORNYN, John," accessed October 21, 2025
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Texas Attorney General (Assumed office: 2015)
- Texas State Senate (2013–2015)
- Texas House of Representatives (2003–2013)
Biography: Paxton obtained a bachelor's and a master's degree from Baylor University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Before seeking elected office, Paxton operated a private law practice for 14 years.
Show sources
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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
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.
John Cornyn
View more ads here:
Ken Paxton
View more ads here:
Debates and forums
If you are aware of any debates, candidate forums, or other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated, please email us.
Noteworthy endorsements
May 26 runoff
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
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.
| Runoff election endorsements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Endorser | John Cornyn | Ken Paxton
|
| Government officials | ||
| U.S. Sen. John Thune (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Craig Goldman (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R) source | ✔ | |
| Newspapers and editorials | ||
| Austin American-Statesman source | ✔ | |
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram source | ✔ | |
| Houston Chronicle Editorial Board source | ✔ | |
| Organizations | ||
| American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) source | ✔ | |
| Gun Owners of America source | ✔ | |
| National Border Patrol Council source | ✔ | |
| Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (RJC-PAC) source | ✔ | |
| Turning Point Action source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce source | ✔ | |
March 3 primary
| Republican primary endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorser | John Cornyn | Wesley Hunt | Ken Paxton
|
| Government officials | |||
| U.S. Sen. John Thune (R) source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R) source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey (R) source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Rep. Craig Goldman (R) source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R) source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R) source | ✔ | ||
| Newspapers and editorials | |||
| Austin American-Statesman source | ✔ | ||
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram source | ✔ | ||
| Houston Chronicle Editorial Board source | ✔ | ||
| Organizations | |||
| American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) source | ✔ | ||
| Gun Owners of America source | ✔ | ||
| National Border Patrol Council source | ✔ | ||
| Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (RJC-PAC) source | ✔ | ||
| Turning Point Action source | ✔ | ||
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce source | ✔ | ||
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
May 26 runoff
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
March 3 primary
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[20] 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."[21] 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 | Bierschwale | Cornyn | Crockett | Hunt | Paxton | Talarico | Undecideed | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Research NotePAC supports James Talarico | – | -- | -- | 42 | -- | -- | 48 | -- | -- | 10 | 599 LV | ± 4.0% | Lone Star Rising PAC |
– | -- | 38 | -- | 16 | 43 | -- | 13 | 1 | -- | 529 LV | ± 5.3% | ||
– | -- | 42 | -- | 37 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21 | 529 LV | ± 5.3% | ||
– | -- | 36 | -- | -- | 49 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 529 LV | ± 5.3% | ||
– | -- | -- | -- | 29 | 53 | -- | -- | -- | 18 | 529 LV | ± 5.3% | ||
– | 1 | 34 | -- | 26 | 36 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 350 RV | ± 5.2% | ||
– | -- | 26 | -- | 26 | 27 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | ||
– | -- | 31 | -- | 17 | 38 | -- | -- | 2 | 12 | 550 LV | ± 4.2% | ||
– | -- | 46 | -- | 39 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 550 LV | ± 4.2% | ||
– | -- | 40 | -- | -- | 51 | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 550 LV | ± 4.2% | ||
– | -- | -- | -- | 33 | 56 | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 550 LV | ± 4.2% | ||
– | -- | 26 | -- | 16 | 27 | -- | -- | 2 | 29 | 550 LV | ± 4.1% | N/A | |
– | -- | 28 | -- | 19 | 27 | -- | -- | -- | 26 | 1,022 LV | ± 3.0% | N/A | |
– | -- | 24 | -- | 24 | 29 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | ||
– | -- | 32 | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | ||
– | -- | 31 | -- | -- | 45 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | ||
– | -- | -- | -- | 37 | 35 | -- | -- | -- | 28 | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | ||
Peak Insights NoteSponsored by a pro-Cornyn organization | – | -- | 35 | -- | 18 | 33 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 600 LV | ± 4.0% | Texans for a Conservative Majority PAC |
Stratus Intelligence NoteSponsored by Pro-Wesley Hunt group | – | -- | 25 | -- | 26 | 36 | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 857 LV | ± 3.3% | |
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Hunt) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn and Hunt. | – | -- | 50 | -- | 34 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 16 | 576 RV | ± 4.1% | N/A |
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Hunt vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn, Hunt, and Paxton. | – | -- | 33 | -- | 22 | 34 | -- | -- | -- | 11 | 576 RV | ± 4.1% | N/A |
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Paxton) NoteTwo-way race between Cornyn and Paxton. | – | -- | 44 | -- | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 576 RV | ± 4.1% | N/A |
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/Texas Southern University (Hunt vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Hunt and Paxton. | – | -- | -- | -- | 35 | 50 | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 576 RV | ± 4.1% | N/A |
Emerson College NoteTwo-way race between Cornyn and Paxton. | – | -- | 30 | -- | -- | 29 | -- | -- | 5 | 37 | 491 RV | ± 4.4% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Hunt) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn and Hunt. | – | -- | 42 | -- | 36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Hunt vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn, Hunt, and Paxton. | – | -- | 30 | -- | 22 | 35 | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Jackson) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn and Ronny Jackson (R). "Other" indicates support for Jackson. | – | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 35 | 22 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Jackson vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Cornyn, Ronny Jackson (R), and Paxton. "Other" indicates support for Jackson. | – | -- | 33 | -- | -- | 38 | -- | -- | 15 | 14 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Paxton) NoteTwo-way race between Cornyn and Paxton. | – | -- | 39 | -- | -- | 44 | -- | -- | -- | 17 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Hunt vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Hunt and Paxton. | – | -- | -- | -- | 36 | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 21 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Jackson vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical matchup between Paxton and Ronny Jackson (R). "Other" indicates support for Jackson. | – | -- | -- | -- | -- | 44 | -- | -- | 33 | 23 | 1,500 LV | ± 2.5% | N/A |
Texas Southern University NoteHypothetical three-way race between Cornyn, Hunt, and Paxton. | – | -- | 27 | -- | 15 | 34 | -- | -- | -- | 24 | 510 LV | ± 4.3% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Hunt) NoteHypothetical two-way race between Cornyn and Hunt. | – | -- | 39 | -- | 31 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 30 | 510 LV | ± 4.3% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Cornyn vs. Paxton) NoteTwo-way race between Cornyn and Paxton. | – | -- | 34 | -- | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 23 | 510 LV | ± 4.3% | N/A |
Texas Southern University (Hunt vs. Paxton) NoteHypothetical two-way race between Hunt and Paxton. | – | -- | -- | -- | 25 | 45 | -- | -- | -- | 30 | 510 LV | ± 4.3% | N/A |
Quantus Insights NoteTwo-way race between Cornyn and Paxton. | – | -- | 39 | -- | -- | 52 | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 600 RV | ± 4.4% | 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.[22]
- 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.[23][24][25]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | 2/17/2026 | 2/10/2026 | ||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Cornyn | Republican Party | $11,155,399 | $6,816,042 | $4,972,818 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Ken Paxton | Republican Party | $5,857,093 | $1,925,816 | $3,931,277 | 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.[26][27]
If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.[28]
Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Spending news
- February 17, 2026: The Texas Tribune reported that satellite groups supporting Cornyn had spent around $60,000,000 and that the Lone Star Freedom Project, a satellite group chaired by former Gov. Rick Perry (R), had spent more than $18,000,000 supporting Cornyn.[29]
- February 4, 2026: The New York Times reported that satellite groups supporting Cornyn had spent around $50,000,000, groups supporting Hunt had spent $240,000, and groups supporting Paxton had spent $375,000.[30]
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. | ||||
| 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
- 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
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:
- Florida's 19th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 18 Republican primary)
- Michigan's 10th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 4 Republican primary)
- Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District election, 2026
See also
- United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- 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
- ↑ Axios, "Cornyn, Paxton advance to runoff in Texas GOP Senate clash," March 3, 2026
- ↑ CNN, "John Cornyn and Ken Paxton will advance to a runoff in Texas’ US Senate Republican primary," March 4, 2026
- ↑ Politico, "Cornyn, Paxton head to runoff in Texas Senate GOP race," March 3, 2026
- ↑ Punchbowl News, "Texas is going to get ugly over the next 3 months," March 4, 2026
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Texas Tribune, "Trump says he will soon endorse in runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton," March 4, 2026
- ↑ CBS News, "Senator Cornyn kicks off re-election campaign early as Ken Paxton weighs primary challenge," March 30, 2025
- ↑ Emerson College, "Texas 2026 Poll: Cornyn and Paxton in Dead Heat for GOP Senate Nomination," August 15, 2025
- ↑ Squarespace, "Texas Southern University August 2025 Poll," accessed October 22, 2025
- ↑ Document Cloud, "election2026," accessed October 22, 2025
- ↑ Texas Scorecard, "Poll Shows Cornyn Slipping to Third in GOP Senate Primary," November 24, 2025
- ↑ DecisionDesk HQ, "The Texas GOP Senate Primary is a Two-man Race," December 1, 2025
- ↑ co/efficient, "Texas Statewide 2026 GOP Primary," December 3, 2025
- ↑ J.L. Partners, "Texas GOP Senate Primary polling December 2025," accessed December 19, 2025
- ↑ Emerson College, "Texas 2026 Poll: Talarico Leads Crockett for Democratic Senate Nomination, Cornyn and Paxton Face Potential Runoff," January 15, 2026
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2026 Election United States Senate – Texas," accessed February 3, 2026
- ↑ The New York Times, "Republicans Make a Costly Push to Try to Save Cornyn in Texas," February 4, 2026
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Rick Perry says his political group will spend “whatever we need” to support John Cornyn in Senate primary," February 17, 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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Amee LaTour, Email correspondence with the Center for Responsive Politics, August 5, 2022
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Rick Perry says his political group will spend “whatever we need” to support John Cornyn in Senate primary," February 17, 2026
- ↑ The New York Times, "Republicans Make a Costly Push to Try to Save Cornyn in Texas," February 4, 2026
