❓WHAT HAPPENED: Early voting for Texas’s March 3 primary contests begins on February 17 and ends on February 27, with key Republican and Democrat races being closely watched.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, challengers such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt, and Democrat candidates Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Texas, from Tuesday, February 17, through Friday, February 27, ahead of the March 3 primary elections.
🎯IMPACT: The results of these primaries could influence the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, with both parties vying for critical seats.
Early voting has kicked off in Texas ahead of its March 3 primary elections, with voters able to cast ballots from February 17 through February 27. While there are several key races in the state, most attention has focused on the contested Republican and Democrat U.S. Senate primaries.
Incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) faces a possible elimination in the first round of voting, according to recent polling. The Republican Senate primary, which features Cornyn facing off against U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), will likely head to a run-off election between the top two vote-getters. The National Pulse reported in early February that a poll conducted by J.L. Partners shows Cornyn falling to third place behind Paxton and Hunt. If this result holds on March 3, Cornyn will not advance to the run-off.
Meanwhile, on the Democrat side, Representative Jasmine Crockett faces off against Texas state Representative James Talarico (D). While polling in early January suggested that Talarico held a slight edge, more recent surveys have shown Crockett holding a one-point to 13-point lead in the primary race. Unlikely to go to a run-off, the winner of the March 3 Democrat primary will advance to the general election in November.
Paxton has largely emerged as the front-runner in the Republican race, despite Cornyn’s incumbency. First elected in 2002, Sen. Cornyn lacks support among the more MAGA Republican base and is largely seen as unsupportive of President Donald J. Trump. Conversely, in the Democrat primary, Crockett holds an advantage among more progressive voters, who comprise a significant portion of the Democrat base. However, this more radical voting bloc is unlikely to be enough to carry her in November’s general election.
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