Below is a synopsis of the federal, state and county races of greatest local interest in the primary election of March 3.
FEDERAL
In the Texas Republican Senate primary, Texas Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton finished neck-and-neck with 41.9% and 40.7% respectively. The two will face off in a runoff election May 26 since neither received more than 50% of the vote.
In Texas’ Democratic Senate primary, state Rep. James Talarico took 52.8% of the vote, defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who received 45.9%.
STATEWIDE
Incumbent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott handily defeated a slate of challengers to win the Republican primary for the governor’s seat. In November, Abbott will face Gina Hinojosa in the governor’s race; she won the Democratic nomination with 58.8% of the vote in that party’s primary. If Abbott prevails in the November election, he will become Texas’ longest-serving governor.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick handily defeated three challengers with 84.84% of the vote to win his party’s nomination for a chance to retain his seat.
In the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, Vikki Goodwin took 48.07% of the vote while Marcos Isaias Velez took 31.54%. The two will go to a runoff election May 26 in a bid to face Patrick in the general election in November.
In the Republican primary for the Texas Attorney General, Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy will go to a runoff election May 26 since no one in the race received more than 50% of the vote. Middleton garnered 39.14% of the vote compared with Roy’s 31.76%.
Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski will go to a runoff for the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General, with the winner squaring off with either Middleton or Roy for the seat. Johnson garnered 47.79% of the vote in the primary while Jaworski took 26.67%.
In the Republican primary for the office of Comptroller of Public Accounts, Don Huffines handily defeated recently appointed Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock as well as Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick. Huffines took the nomination with 57.4% of the vote, while Hancock received 23.62% and Craddick 15.11%.
In the November general election, Huffines will face Democratic nominee Sarah Eckhardt, who received 64.35% of the vote in her primary.
Nate Sheets won the Republican party’s nomination for Commissioner of Agriculture with 52.62% of the vote, defeating incumbent Sid Miller who received 47.38%. Sheets will face Clayton Tucker, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the November general election.
In the race for Railroad Commissioner, and a field of five candidates, challenger Bo French gave incumbent Jim Wright a run for the money with 31.72% of the vote compared with Wright’s 32.04%. The two will vie for the nomination in a runoff May 26. The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee Jon Rosenthal, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination.
PARKER COUNTY
The incumbent County Juge Pat Deen defeated challenger Tim Galbreaith with 58.02% of the vote compared with Galbreaith’s 41.98% for the Republican nomination for the office. Deen will face Richard Simms, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the general election in November.
Sharena Gilliland, incumbent District Clerk, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination for the office. Gilliland faces no opposition in the general election.
Incumbent County Clerk Lila Deakle was successful in her bid for the Republican nomination for that office, with 51.33% of the vote compared with challenger Dave Matthews’ 48.67%. Deakle moves on to the November general election, where she is unopposed.
Becky McCullough, incumbent County Treasurer, was unopposed in her bid for the Republican nomination for that office. She is also unopposed in her bid for re-election in November.
Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Kelvin Miles was unopposed in his bid for the Republican nomination for the office. He also faces no opponent in the general election in November.
