Texas Primary Election
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 · Election has passed
U.S. House, U.S. Senate, Governor, statewide offices
What’s being decided
A primary election determines which candidates advance to the November general election. Voters in each party select their nominee, and the winners face each other in the fall.
Texas holds an open primary — any registered voter may participate, regardless of party affiliation.
Candidates
U.S. Senate
Republican · Incumbent since 2003
John Cornyn has represented Texas in the U.S. Senate since 2003. He previously served as Texas Attorney General and on the Texas Supreme Court. He has served in Senate Republican leadership and was a key negotiator of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Governor
Republican · Incumbent since 2015
Greg Abbott has served as Governor of Texas since 2015 and is seeking his fourth term. Before becoming governor, he served as Texas Attorney General and as a Texas Supreme Court justice. He has used the Texas-Mexico border as a defining political issue, launching Operation Lone Star and busing migrants to northern cities.
Democratic
Gina Hinojosa is a Texas state representative from Austin who has served House District 49 since 2017. An attorney, she served as chair of the Texas Democratic Party from 2021 to 2023. She won the 2026 Democratic primary to become the party's nominee for governor, challenging incumbent Greg Abbott. The daughter of former U.S. Representative Ruben Hinojosa, she has made education funding, healthcare access, and voting rights central to her legislative career.
Voter information
Registration deadline
October 4, 2026 (30 days before the November 3 general)
Source: Texas Secretary of State