DALLAS — Tuesday night’s primary elections brought some surprises and sent a number of the candidates into runoffs that are scheduled just before the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The Republican race for Texas attorney general will be the most-watched race going into the May 24 runoff. Incumbent Ken Paxton will have to fight for his political survival against outgoing Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Can Bush get the support needed to topple a popular incumbent?
In a special episode of the Y’all-itics podcast, a team of Texas political experts joined hosts Jason Whitely and Jason Wheeler to provide analysis and context behind the biggest election results: Chrysta Castaneda, a Democratic strategist; Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist; Berna Dean Steptoe, WFAA’s political producer; and Jason Villalba, a former Republican Texas state representative. They explained the dynamics they will be watching for in the coming weeks.
In Dallas, Congressional District 30 is another race that is getting national attention. U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a veteran Democrat is retiring from Congress after serving since 1993. Johnson’s hand-picked successor, state Rep. Jasmine Crockett, got the most votes on Tuesday night in a field of nine candidates. But that number still was not enough to get her over the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. Crockett will meet Jane Hope Hamilton in the May runoff.
The top of the November ballot is already decided. Republican Greg Abbott will face Democrat Beto O’Rourke for governor.
The lieutenant governor position, arguably the most influential in Texas since that individual presides of the Texas Senate and can guide legislation, is only settled on the Republican side. Incumbent Dan Patrick won the GOP nomination. Mike Collier and state Rep. Michelle Beckley will meet each other in the runoff to decide who faces Patrick in the fall.
The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, with cities like Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen, are also getting a lot of attention this election cycle. For years, it has been a blue wall. But Republicans have gradually chipped away at it in 2016 and 2020. Can Democrats hang onto it? It’s one place to watch as we gear up for the November general election.
There’s a lot to watch as the politics of Texas evolve. This episode of Y’all-itics will get you ready for November.