A look at who’s running for U.S. Senate in Texas

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Texas is holding some of the nation’s earliest primaries with voters heading to the polls on March 3, 2026. Among those primaries are those for the Democratic and Republican nominations for U.S. Senate. The filing deadline is Dec. 8.

Incumbent John Cornyn (R), Wesley Hunt (R), Ken Paxton (R), and 10 other candidates are running in the Republican primary. Colin Allred (D), Emily Morgul (D), Michael Swanson (D), and James Talarico (D) are running in the Democratic primary.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the primary vote, then the top two finishers will advance to a runoff on May 26, 2026.

Both primaries have received national media attention. Recent polling in the Republican primary has shown no candidate winning more than 50%. No statewide Republican primary in Texas has advanced to a runoff — required if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote — since 1994. On the Democratic side, Allred and Talarico have received the most media attention and spent the most money. Summarizing an interview with Democratic strategist Matt Angle, WFAA's Michael McCardel said, "Allred has more name recognition and Talarico is considered an underdog. But Talarico has a massive social media following Angle thinks will be important for fundraising and raising his profile.” Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.

As of Nov. 18, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general election Likely Republican. Texas held an election for its other U.S. Senate seat in 2024, when incumbent Ted Cruz (R) defeated Colin Allred (D) 53%–45%. In 2020, Cornyn defeated M.J. Hegar (D) 54%–44%.

The candidates mentioned below lead in polling, fundraising, endorsements, and media attention. Click here to see a full list of candidates as well as a list of people who have either discussed entering the race or received media attention over their potential entry.

Republican:

The Texas Tribune's Gabby Birenbaum described the primary as "expensive and brutal. Cornyn, a 23-year veteran of the Senate, has been in hot water with the Republican base over his efforts to pass a bipartisan gun safety bill in 2022 and past comments casting doubt on Trump’s political durability."

Meanwhile, Birenbaum also said Hunt would need to “outpace two opponents who have been elected statewide numerous times” and that some Republicans “fear Paxton could jeopardize the seat in a general election” due to “ethical and legal troubles” including “corruption allegations that were the subject of an impeachment effort and federal probe.”

Cornyn was first elected in 2002. He previously served as state attorney general and on the Texas Supreme Court. Cornyn's campaign website says he has a "more than 99.2% voting record with President Trump — higher than Ted Cruz." Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R) and the National Border Patrol Council endorsed Cornyn.

Hunt has represented the 38th Congressional District since 2022. He is a U.S. Army veteran and a former loan officer. Hunt says he is running because "nothing is more worth fighting for than our great country and our Texas values." U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) endorsed Hunt.

Paxton has served as Texas Attorney General since 2015. He was also a member of the Texas House for 10 years and of the Texas Senate for two. Paxton's campaign website says that both "President Trump and Ken Paxton have been targeted in politically motivated witch hunts because there’s nothing that scares the establishment more than courageous conservatives who never back down from standing up for the American people." U.S. Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas) endorsed Paxton.

The Texas Tribune’s Owen Dahlkamp wrote that Paxton and Hunt are both positioning themselves as “anti-establishment MAGA warrior[s] made in the image of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party” and that Cornyn is “downplaying his old guard party credentials, instead highlighting his ties to Trump and the work he’s done for the president in the Senate.”

According to campaign reports filed with the FEC as of Sept. 30, the most recent reporting available:

Cornyn had raised $9 million and spent $3.6 million,
Hunt had raised $1.4 million and spent $2.3 million,
Paxton had raised $4.2 million and spent $1 million.

Democratic:

Axios' Stephen Neukam described the primary as having "quickly turned into one of the most intriguing Democratic contests on the map next year."

Allred was Texas’ 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate nominee and is a former U.S. House member. That year, Allred won the Democratic primary with 58.9% of the vote. A former professional football player and civil rights attorney, Allred says he is running for Senate "to lower costs and stop corrupt politicians like John Cornyn and Ken Paxton from rigging the economy against hard working Texans."

Talarico was elected to the state House in 2018 and is a Presbyterian seminarian. Talarico was a middle school teacher before running for office. Talarico says he is running “to take his fight against corruption to Washington and win power back for working people.”

According to campaign reports filed with the FEC as of Sept. 30:

Allred had raised $4.9 million and spent $3.1 million
Talarico had raised $6.3 million and spent $1.3 million

Context

Both of Texas’ U.S. Senators are Republicans. The last Democrat to represent the state in the Senate was Robert Kruger (D), who left office in 1993. Texas' U.S. House delegation is composed of 25 Republicans and 12 Democrats.