Texas is open for business — political business, that is. Voters across the Lone Star State head to the polls Tuesday for the first major primary of the 2026 midterm cycle, and the stakes couldn’t be higher up and down the ballot.
The March 3, 2026 primary marks the official kickoff to a statewide primary calendar that runs all the way through September, with the general midterm election set for November 3. Texas is joined by North Carolina and Arkansas in holding primaries today, but it’s Texas — sprawling, loud, and perpetually consequential — that has the nation’s attention. From a bruising U.S. Senate race to a governor’s contest that’s drawn a familiar challenger, this is a primary day worth watching closely.
When Polls Are Open — And Where
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, though there’s a catch worth knowing: on Election Day itself, voting is restricted to your assigned precinct. That’s different from early voting, which offered more flexibility on location. If you’re not sure where you’re supposed to go, VoteTexas.gov has a polling place lookup tool along with sample ballots and voter registration resources.
Bring your ID. Texas law requires photo identification at the polls, and the list of acceptable forms is specific: a Texas driver’s license, an election identification certificate, a handgun license, a personal ID card, a U.S. passport, military ID, or another U.S. government-issued photo ID. No ID, no vote — it’s that straightforward.
How Texas Primaries Actually Work
Here’s something that trips up a lot of voters. Texas primaries are technically open, meaning you don’t have to be registered with a party to participate. But you do have to sign a pledge stating you won’t vote in the other party’s primary during the same election year. Simple enough. What’s less simple is the path to winning: candidates need a majority of the vote to claim the nomination outright. If nobody clears 50 percent, the top two finishers advance to a runoff — currently scheduled for May 26, 2026.
Under Section 41.007(d) of the Texas Election Code, no other elections can be held on primary or runoff primary election day. The calendar is protected by statute. It’s a clean, if crowded, slate.
The Senate Race: Cornyn’s Toughest Night in Years
The marquee contest on the Republican side is the U.S. Senate primary, where Sen. John Cornyn is fighting to hold onto his seat for a fifth term — and it’s not going smoothly. Cornyn is facing a serious challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who leads him in recent polling averages at 39 percent to 35 percent, with Rep. Wesley Hunt pulling in around 18 percent. That math makes a runoff look all but inevitable.
Cornyn, a Senate stalwart who’s served since 2002, is navigating a Republican base that’s shifted considerably beneath his feet. Paxton, never one to shy away from a fight, has positioned himself as the more combative, Trump-aligned alternative. Hunt, meanwhile, has built a following among younger conservative voters. None of them may clear 50 percent tonight — which means May could be just as dramatic as March.
The Governor’s Race: Abbott and a Familiar Face
On the Republican side of the gubernatorial primary, Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking another term and faces a challenge from former U.S. Rep. Pete Chambers. Abbott enters as the heavy favorite — incumbency in Texas Republican politics is a powerful thing — but the presence of a credible challenger is itself a signal of the turbulence in the party’s internal dynamics.
Democrats, meanwhile, are working out their own field. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, former Houston city councilman Chris Bell, and Bobby Cole are competing for the Democratic nomination. Hinojosa brings legislative experience and a profile that’s resonated with progressive voters; Bell ran for governor before, back in 2006. It’s a competitive field for a party that hasn’t held the governor’s office since Ann Richards left in 1995.
Mail Ballots, Results Timeline, and What Comes Next
For Dallas County voters who requested a mail ballot — the first day to apply was January 1, 2026 — those ballots need to be returned by the close of polls tonight to be counted, per Dallas County election guidelines. Early voting results will begin posting after 7 p.m., but the full picture takes time.
Official results won’t be certified overnight. Each party’s state chair has until March 15 to complete a statewide canvass and make the results official. That’s nearly two weeks of counting, certifying, and — in competitive races — waiting. For campaigns already eyeing the May runoff, tonight is less an ending than an opening act.
Still, what happens in the next few hours matters enormously. The margins tonight will shape messaging, fundraising, and momentum heading into the spring. In a state this size, with this many moving parts, even a primary can feel like a general election in miniature.
Texas doesn’t do anything small. And this year, it’s not starting small either.
