The 2026 primary election in Texas is Tuesday, March 3, but voters in the state may be returning to the polls again soon, with several races having the potential to spark a runoff.
In Texas, a primary runoff is declared when no one candidate in a race is able to secure more than 50% of the vote. If any of the March primary races result in a runoff, the runoff election will be held on May 26, with early voting in the runoff taking place from May 18-22.
Alicia Pierce, the assistant secretary of communications for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, said voters need to remember that even though the state's primaries are open — meaning voters have the option to cast ballots in either the Democratic or Republican primary — they are locked into whichever political party they voted in for that year.
"If you vote in the primary of one party, you cannot switch parties for the runoff," Pierce said. "So, if you vote in the Republican primary, you need to vote in the Republican runoff."
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However, if someone does not vote in the March primary, they can still vote in primary runoffs for either the Democratic or Republican party, Pierce said.
"I would also add that if you vote in a primary election, you're affiliating yourself with that party for the year, so you wouldn't be able to participate in a third-party convention or something along those lines," she said.
Regardless of how they vote in the primaries, voters can choose candidates of either party, or a combination of candidates from multiple parties, in the November general election.
Some of the major statewide races poised for a possible runoff include the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, in which incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is facing a challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston-area Rep.Wesley Hunt.
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The primary races for attorney general could also result in at least one runoff as three Democrats and four Republicans are vying for their respective party's nomination.
On the Democratic side, Tony Box, Joe Jaworski and Nathan Johnson are hoping to represent their party. Republican candidates Joan Huffman, Mayes Middleton, Aaron Reitz and Chip Roy are battling it out for their party’s nomination.
If a runoff race is close, candidates can request a recount if the results are within 10% of each other. A breakdown of Texas' recount rules can be found on the website for the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
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