State & Local primary runoff races to watch

In Texas, a primary runoff is declared when no one candidate in a race is able to secure more than 50% of the vote.  Runoff elections will be held on May 26, with early voting in the runoff taking place  from May 18-22.

It’s been a long campaign for Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, but it is not over yet.  Incumbent Cornyn did carry a plurality of the votes garnering 41.89% of the ballots.  Paxton received 40.68% of the votes.  Cornyn is campaigning for his fifth six-year term in the U.S. Senate.  This is Cornyn’s first ever runoff election as a senator.

President Donald Trump said he would “soon” endorse a candidate in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate, and, in doing so, call on whomever he does not endorse to drop out of the race – though he did not specify whether he would back Cornyn or Paxton.

Of a four-person race for Texas Attorney General , the Republican primary to fill Paxton’s seat has come down to Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy, neither of whom could earn a majority of the vote on Tuesday.  Middleton received 39.12% of the votes to Roy’s 31.6%.

This November, a Democrat will challenge a Republican other than Ken Paxton to become Texas’ Attorney General for the first time in many years.  Nathan Johnson will face Joe Jaworski on the May 26 ballot.

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales is forced into a runoff by Brandon Herrera to win the Republican primary for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District seat.  Gonzales defeated Herrera in a 2024 runoff by only a few hundred votes.  This time, Gonzales was embroiled in controversy after allegations circulated about an affair between him and his former aide, Regina Santos-Aviles.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright and challenger Bo French will head to a runoff election.  The candidate who wins the runoff election will face State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, in November.

KERR COUNTY RUNOFF RACES

County Court at Law:

~Robert Hunter Moose, 41.05%

~Brett Ferguson, 23.35%

Precinct 1 Commissioner:

~Clay Lambert, 32.96%

~Brenda Hughes, 31.76%

KENDALL COUNTY RUNOFF RACES

County Judge:

~Shane Stolarczyk, 44.16%

~Ricky Gleason, 40.94%

Precinct 2 Commissioner:

~Andra Wisian, 47.8%

~J.C. Taylor, 38.24%