By Elizabeth Findell, Sabrina Rodriguez and Anthony DeBarros

AUSTIN, Texas -- Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are headed to a runoff to determine which Republican will face off in November against Democratic State Rep. James Talarico.

Cornyn and Paxton were the top two finishers in the GOP Senate contest Tuesday night, bumping out Rep. Wesley Hunt. In the Democratic contest, Talarico, a 36-year-old Bible scholar who captured national attention for his faith-based message, defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett for the party's nomination.

With more than 90% of the vote counted, Cornyn had 42%, Paxton received 41% and Hunt had 13.5%, according to the Associated Press as of Wednesday morning. The GOP race now heads to a showdown on May 26 to decide the party's nominee. Trump hasn't endorsed anyone in the race so far but could face pressure to do so.

As of Wednesday morning on the Democratic side, Talarico had 53% of the vote to Crockett's 46%, according to the AP.

The Texas race is already the most expensive Senate primary on record, according to AdImpact, with nearly $131 million spent on ad spending and reservations by both parties. Republicans have spent more than $99 million in the contest -- and, of that, nearly $70 million was aimed at boosting Cornyn.

Talarico's victory gives an early indication of the direction that the Democratic Party and its base voters are heading as they look toward the midterms and the 2028 presidential race. Talarico has gained followers in Texas and nationally for using faith-based language to talk about progressive values.

Crockett, a firebrand with a national profile built on battles with Trump and other MAGA figures, centered much of her campaign on turning out voters in heavily Democratic parts of the state. As one of the most prominent Black women in the House, she cast herself as a fighter equipped to fire up the Democratic Party's base.

The night's voting kicked off the 2026 primary season, with North Carolina and Arkansas also holding primaries. In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper won the Democratic primary for Senate, while former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley won the Republican race. Their matchup in November to fill the seat of the retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis will be one of the most closely watched contests.

For Republicans, the Texas primary represents a litmus test looking toward the midterms and 2028 presidential primary: Do they want to continue leaning in on MAGA messaging, or opt for a more traditional brand of conservatism?

Cornyn, a four-term Republican senator who previously served as the Senate's second-ranking Republican, has struggled to keep the support of Republican primary voters against Paxton, a MAGA warrior beloved by many base voters. But he is viewed as a stronger general-election candidate and has the backing of Republican leadership. Two of his campaign advisers have close ties to Trump and the White House: pollster Tony Fabrizio and former Trump campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita.

The race has been personal and hostile, with many ads focused on Paxton's controversies. Cornyn has called Paxton, who has faced repeated accusations of legal and ethical wrongdoing, a liability who could make the seat vulnerable to Democrats. Cornyn, 74, said when he entered the race that thwarting someone with Paxton's "lack of character" was a primary motivation for him.

Paxton, 63, has pointed to his success in Texas politics as proof of his electability. He called Cornyn a Washington insider who "has betrayed President Trump and the America First movement."

In the Democratic contest in Texas, Talarico positioned himself as a fresh-faced foil to a more divisive brand of politics, calling to "extend an open hand" to independents, nonvoters and Republicans. On the campaign trail, Talarico -- who made stops in counties Trump won -- focused on a message of love and bringing down the temperature in politics.

"As I travel this state, I get the sense that across the political spectrum, there is a deep hunger for a different kind of politics -- not a politics of fear, not a politics of hate, not a politics of division," Talarico said at a rally in San Antonio on Sunday.

Talarico was boosted by a strong performance among Hispanic voters. Democratic strategists had been looking to the primary for indicators on what message and strategy resonates most strongly with Hispanics after witnessing Republicans make inroads with them in recent election cycles.

Election Day unfolded with confusion in two large counties: Dallas County and Williamson County, which encompasses Austin's northern suburbs, due to a change in policy allowing voters to cast ballots only in an assigned polling location. Democrats said hundreds of people had been turned away from polls and obtained a ruling from a judge in Dallas County giving voters there an extra two hours to vote. But the state Supreme Court temporarily blocked the order, potentially invalidating those late votes.

Wednesday morning, Crockett conceded the race, saying she had called Talarico to congratulate him.

"Texas is primed to turn blue, and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person," she said in a statement. "Democrats must rally around our nominee and win. I'm committed to doing my part."

Crockett, 44, came into the race with greater name recognition than Talarico. However, as he gained momentum with rallies and national media appearances, she had a less visible campaign and her team said it was trying nontraditional approaches, such as visiting nightclubs and focusing more on social-media content than TV ads.

Talarico's supporters had argued that he is a less divisive and more electable candidate in the general election. But it remains an uphill battle for Democrats, who haven't won a statewide race in the nation's second-largest state since 1994.

Some Democratic leaders and strategists think Talarico's nomination -- in a year when Democrats are especially motivated against the Trump administration -- is offering the party a stronger shot to flip the seat.

Write to Elizabeth Findell at elizabeth.findell@wsj.com, Sabrina Rodriguez at sabrina.rodriguez@wsj.com and Anthony DeBarros at anthony.debarros@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 04, 2026 10:10 ET (15:10 GMT)

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