Texas Senate and House races head to costly May runoff elections
Yesterday, the 2026 midterms officially kicked off as Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina held their primary elections. Several major races in Texas – including the Republican U.S. Senate primary and about a dozen U.S. House primaries – will go to delayed runoff elections in late May because no candidate earned a majority of the vote.
The races will likely cost Texas taxpayers millions of dollars; see tens (or hundreds) of millions spent on campaigns; and subject Texans to another three months of toxic, negative campaigning – all for elections likely to see significantly lower turnout. Since 1994, the average turnout decline in Texas runoffs is 48%.
Ranked choice voting (RCV) – also known as “instant runoff voting” – is a better, faster, cheaper alternative that would ensure nominees have majority support, without the cost or diminished turnout of runoffs.
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U.S. Senate primaries
State Rep. James Talarico won Texas’ Democratic U.S. Senate primary with a majority of votes on Tuesday, meaning he can get a head start on his general election campaign. Meanwhile, Republican incumbent John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a runoff on May 26, extending what has already been the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history by an additional 12 weeks.
The GOP Senate primary has been particularly vitriolic. Paxton has accused Cornyn of being a RINO, or “Republican in name only”, and a “desperate shell of a man clinging to power.” Cornyn’s campaign has attacked Paxton for an alleged extramarital affair, a bribery scandal, and an indictment on security fraud charges. Observers say the upcoming runoff could be a “huge drain on GOP resources” and a “nightmare scenario for Republicans.”
A Republican runoff was all but assured after U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt entered the race in October. On primary day, Cornyn and Paxton earned just over 40% of the vote each, while Hunt earned 14% and other candidates took the rest.
| Candidate | Percentage |
| John Cornyn | 42% |
| Ken Paxton | 41% |
| Wesley Hunt | 14% |
| Other candidates | 4% |
In 2024, U.S. House and state legislative runoffs cost Texas taxpayers over $5 million. The 2026 runoffs are likely to be even more expensive, with two statewide races – the Republican race for U.S. Senate and Democratic race for lieutenant governor – heading to runoffs.
If Texas used ranked choice voting instead of delayed runoffs, the Republican primary would have been decided yesterday, would have cost taxpayers less, and would likely have been more civil. Because of the runoff, Republicans will spend more time and money on an extended 1-on-1 campaign, while Talarico builds a war chest for the general election.
Update: On March 4, President Trump posted about the Republican primary runoff on Truth Social, saying that he would endorse in the race soon and ask the other candidate to “immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!” If this does occur, it would allow Republicans to consolidate behind a single candidate – but take that decision away from Texas’s 2.2 million GOP primary voters and put it in the hands of two men.
U.S. House
Over a dozen U.S. House races in Texas are also heading to runoffs. Many of these seats are considered safe for one party in the general election, meaning the district’s next representative will effectively be determined by a low-turnout runoff electorate. This is the case for Republicans in the 9th and 38th Districts, and for Democrats in the 18th and 33rd Districts.
Texas runoffs see turnout decline by 48% on average. Winners often receive fewer votes in the runoff than the general election – this was the case in all eight of Texas’s congressional primary runoffs in 2024. Turnout might be especially low for this year’s Democratic runoffs, because the party does not have any high-profile statewide races going to runoffs.
Several low-turnout runoffs in recent years have been decided by razor-thin margins, which may have turned out differently if not for the runoff turnout decline. In 2024, three runoffs in Texas were decided by fewer than 100 votes – including the Republican primary for the 35th Congressional District, which was decided by just five votes. Turnout fell by 86%, or 12,934 voters – about 2,500 times the decisive margin.
2024 Texas runoffs decided by fewer than 100 votes
| Race | Runoff margin | Runoff turnout decline |
| 7th District Republican primary | 44 votes | 18,435 fewer votes |
| 29th District Republican primary | 59 votes | 7,522 fewer votes |
| 35th District Republican primary | 5 votes | 12,934 fewer votes |
Texas statewide and congressional primaries going to runoffs in 2026
| Office | Party |
| U.S. Senate | Republican |
| Lt. Governor | Democratic |
| Attorney General | Republican |
| Attorney General | Democratic |
| Railroad Commissioner | Republican |
| U.S. House District 1 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 5 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 7 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 9 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 14 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 16 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 17 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 18 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 19 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 23 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 30 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 32 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 33 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 33 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 35 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 35 | Democratic |
| U.S. House District 37 | Republican |
| U.S. House District 38 | Republican |
Arkansas and North Carolina
In neighboring Arkansas, the Republican primary for secretary of state and several state legislative races are going to runoffs on March 31. This means taxpayers will have to foot the bill for another statewide election that is likely to see a significant drop in turnout.
North Carolina also had several races in which no candidate earned a majority of votes, but they will not go to runoffs. North Carolina only holds runoffs if no candidate receives more than 30% of the vote.
Ranked choice voting is a better alternative to runoffs
Candidates, voters, and election officials alike lose with delayed runoff elections. Candidates face protracted, negative campaigns against members of their own party that may deflate the party’s enthusiasm in November. Many voters who don’t – or can’t – make it to the polls a second time don’t have their voices heard in the final outcome. Election officials have to staff and run a second election, all for a smaller electorate.
With ranked choice voting, voters are able to rank their preferences on a single, high-turnout primary day. If their top choice can’t win, their vote counts for their highest-ranked choice who stands a chance – offering an “instant runoff.”
RCV gives voters more power, saves taxpayer dollars, and ensures winners have support from a majority of their constituents.
For more information, visit Instant Runoff Voting for Texas.
