It’s Election Day in Texas, and people are voting to pick who they want to represent them in the Republican and Democratic parties for the big races coming up in November.
At the top of the list are the candidates running for president, like Joe Biden and Donald Trump. They’re expected to win easily in their respective parties.
But there are lots of other important races too, for things like state and federal positions. Often, whoever wins these primaries ends up winning in November because they don’t have much competition.
Some races might go to another round of voting on May 28, called a runoff. This happens when no one gets more than half of the votes in the first round.
Here are some things to keep an eye on:
- Will Abbott and Paxton’s choices win? Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are unhappy with some Republicans in the Texas House, so they’re supporting different people to run against them. This has made the primary races expensive and sometimes ugly.
- Who will challenge Ted Cruz? Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez are the top Democrats running for a chance to go up against Senator Ted Cruz. Allred is leading in money raised and support from national Democrats.
- Who will take over from the long-time Congress members? Two senior Republicans in Congress are retiring, and lots of people want their seats. These are usually safe seats for Republicans.
- Will the Speaker of the House have to fight for his job? Speaker Dade Phelan is being challenged by David Covey, backed by Ken Paxton. It’s rare for a House Speaker to lose in a primary, but Phelan has upset some people on the far right.
- How will Tony Gonzales’ censure affect him? U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales was censured by the Republican Party of Texas last year. Some Republicans are upset with him for working with Democrats and not voting the way they wanted him to.
- What’s happening with Houston Democrats? Sheila Jackson Lee, Shawn Thierry, and Kim Ogg are all facing challenges from within their own party. They’re being questioned about their support for LGBTQ+ rights and criminal justice reform.
So, it’s a big day in Texas politics, with lots of important races to watch.
