Texas voters delivered a primary night that mixed sharp surprises with familiar outcomes, underscoring both the volatility and the limits of the state’s political map.
At the top of the “predictable” column, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick easily won their Republican primaries and moved on to November, reinforcing the continued strength of the GOP’s statewide infrastructure.
But in Bexar County, Democrats produced one of the night’s biggest jolts. Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg declared victory in the Democratic primary for county judge over incumbent Peter Sakai, after early returns showed Nirenberg with a commanding lead.
The race was a rare contest between two well-known local Democrats, and the result signaled that name recognition, political energy and a promise of more aggressive leadership mattered more than incumbency.
Nirenberg is now positioned to face Republican Patrick Von Dohlen in November.
Statewide, Democrats also showed signs of renewed life, especially in the U.S. Senate primary. Early returns showed state Rep. James Talarico with an early edge over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in a closely watched contest that has been viewed as a test of the party’s future direction.
More notably, Democratic turnout surged: more than 1.5 million Texans voted early in the Democratic primary, according to VoteHub, topping Republican early turnout and more than doubling Democratic early turnout from the 2022 midterm primary. That does not guarantee a November breakthrough, but it does suggest a party with more enthusiasm than it has shown in recent statewide cycles.
Republicans, by contrast, looked increasingly defined by internal strain. In the marquee U.S. Senate race, Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton appeared headed to a May 26 runoff, with neither on pace to clear the 50% threshold needed to avoid one. That extends a costly and bitter intraparty fight at a moment when Democrats are showing more energy, and it leaves the GOP spending more time battling itself instead of turning fully toward the general election.
Guests:
Andrea Drusch is a local government reporter for the S A Report.
Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current.
Sean Briscoe is a Democratic political consultant at CLSB Politics
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