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Elections in Texas |
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The 2026 United States Senate election in Texas will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Texas. Primary elections will be held on March 3, 2026, with a runoff election held on May 26 if no candidate receives a majority in their respective primaries. Incumbent four-term Republican Senator John Cornyn, who was re-elected in 2020, is running for re-election to a fifth term in office. Cornyn is facing a primary challenge from Representative Wesley Hunt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Republicans have won every U.S. Senate election in Texas since 1990, and an incumbent senator has not lost a primary since 1970.
Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term but is facing a competitive challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton. The two have clashed for years with Paxton criticizing Cornyn for being insufficiently conservative, particularly over his support for U.S. aid to Ukraine, DREAM Act for DACA beneficiaries and playing a leading role in the passage of the bipartisan gun safety bill after the Uvalde school massacre. Cornyn, in turn, has highlighted Paxton’s legal troubles, perceived character flaws and corruption, and his 2023 impeachment, in which Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House before the Senate later acquitted him of all charges. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The race has been viewed as a key battle between the Texas Republican Party’s establishment wing and its hardline conservative faction. [1] Republican primary voters in Texas have been increasingly divided as the insurgent hard-right faction has been steadily gaining ground in recent years and has ousted more traditional GOP elected officials. Polling has found clear evidence of the divide and that Paxton has a massive lead among "Trump Movement" voters while Cornyn leads among "Traditional Republicans" who make up a much smaller chunk of the electorate. [5] Trump had previously criticized Cornyn as a "hopeless" RINO for backing the gun safety bill which Paxton has highlighted in ads. [6] [7] President Trump has yet to endorse either of the candidates though he says that both Paxton and Cornyn are good friends of his. [8] Trump's endorsement is considered to be critical in deciding the winner of the primary. [9] Ted Cruz, the junior senator, has also avoided picking a side in the primary, having previously endorsed Cornyn in the last primary of 2020. [10]
Paxton has led Cornyn in early polling conducted both before and after his official entry into the race. Questions have been raised about Paxton's electability in the general election, however, as polls have shown him underperforming Cornyn, even trailing hypothetical Democratic opponents. [11] Cornyn told the Wall Street Journal in June 2025 that he would be willing to step aside if a candidate who could defeat Paxton emerged. However, Cornyn retracted this statement days later, saying he would not drop out of the race. [12]
Italics indicate withdrawn candidate
Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | |
Virgil Bierschwale (R) | $9,780 | $2,383 | $7,398 | |
John Cornyn (R) | $8,957,115 | $3,576,091 | $6,014,485 | |
Wesley Hunt (R) | $1,371,508 | $2,343,552 | $1,515,133 | |
Gurlez Khan (R) | $3,100 | $3,647 | $0 | |
Ken Paxton (R) | $4,204,850 | $1,022,073 | $3,182,777 | |
Tony Schmoker (R) | $2,500 | $3,107 | $0 | |
Source: Federal Election Commission [35] |
Aggregate polls
Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | John Cornyn | Wesley Hunt | Ken Paxton | Other/Undecided [a] | Margin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RealClearPolitics [36] | May 11 – October 1, 2025 | October 9, 2025 | 33.7% | 19.0% | 36.3% | 11.0% | Paxton +2.6% |
Decision Desk HQ [37] | through September 22, 2025 | October 9, 2025 | 41.5% | - | 39.5% | 26.7% | Cornyn +2.0% |
Average | 37.6% | - | 37.9% | – | Paxton +0.3% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn | Wesley Hunt | Ken Paxton | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 576 (RV) | ± 4.1% | 33% | 22% | 34% | 11% |
44% | – | 43% | 13% | ||||
50% | 34% | – | 16% | ||||
– | 35% | 50% | 15% | ||||
Deep Root Analytics (R) [39] [A] | September 22–28, 2025 | 1,142 (LV) | – | 33% | 21% | 28% | 18% |
Ragnar Research Partners (R) [40] [B] | September 20–22, 2025 | – (V) | ± 3.6% | 32% | 17% | 31% | 20% |
Stratus Intelligence (R) [41] [C] | September 14–16, 2025 | 842 (V) | – | 28% | 23% | 38% | 11% |
38% | 23% | 39% | – | ||||
37% | 46% | – | 17% | ||||
Texas Southern University [42] | August 6–12, 2025 | 1,500 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 30% | 22% | 35% | 13% |
G1 Research [43] | Late June 2025 | – | – | 28% | 17% | 41% | 14% |
Pulse Decision Science (R) [44] [45] [D] | June 17–22, 2025 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 32% | 13% | 49% | 7% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 510 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 27% | 15% | 34% | 24% |
– | 25% | 45% | 30% | ||||
39% | 31% | – | 30% | ||||
Quantus Insights (R) [47] [48] [E] | May 11–13, 2025 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 38% | 16% | 46% | – |
American Opportunity Alliance (R) [49] [50] | April 29 – May 1, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 27% | 14% | 43% | 16% |
The Tarrance Group (R) [51] [F] | April 27 – May 1, 2025 | – | – | 34% | 19% | 44% | – |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn | Ken Paxton | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ragnar Research Partners (R) [40] [B] | September 20–22, 2025 | – (V) | ± 3.6% | 39% | 39% | – | 22% |
Texas Public Opinion Research [52] | August 27–29, 2025 | 320 (RV) | – | 32% | 26% | 13% [c] | 29% |
co/efficient (R) [53] | August 25–27, 2025 | 818 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 36% | 39% | – | 25% |
Echelon Insights [54] | August 21–24, 2025 | 515 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 37% | 42% | – | 21% |
Emerson College [55] | August 11–12, 2025 | 491 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 30% | 29% | 5% [d] | 36% |
Texas Southern University [42] | August 6–12, 2025 | 1,500 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 39% | 44% | – | 17% |
Pulse Decision Science (R) [44] [45] [D] | June 17–22, 2025 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 38% | 57% | – | 5% |
UT Tyler [56] | May 28 – June 7, 2025 | 538 (RV) | – | 34% | 44% | – | 22% |
Stratus Intelligence (R) [57] [58] [G] | June 6–8, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 33% | 49% | – | 18% |
UpONE Insights (R) [59] [60] [H] | May 27–28, 2025 | 600 (V) | ± 4.0% | 28% | 50% | – | 21% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 510 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 34% | 43% | – | 23% |
Quantus Insights (R) [47] [48] [E] | May 11–13, 2025 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 39% | 52% | – | 9% |
American Opportunity Alliance (R) [49] [50] | April 29 – May 1, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 35% | 52% | – | 13% |
The Tarrance Group (R) [51] [F] | April 27 – May 1, 2025 | – | – | 40% | 56% | – | – |
Internal Republican Party poll [61] | Mid–April 2025 | 605 (V) | – | 33% | 50% | – | 17% |
Lake Research Partners (D)/ Slingshot Strategies (D) [62] [I] | March 7–10, 2025 | – (RV) | – | 27% | 38% | 19% [e] | 16% |
Fabrizio, Lee & Associates (R) [63] | January 28 – February 2, 2025 | – (V) | – | 28% | 53% | – | 19% |
Victory Insights (R) [64] | January 4–6, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 34% | 42% | – | 25% |
CWS Research (R) [65] [J] | July 9–10, 2022 | 1,918 (RV) | ± 2.2% | 31% | 51% | – | 18% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn | Ronny Jackson | Chip Roy | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CWS Research (R) [66] [J] | October 19–23, 2022 | 823 (RV) | ± 3.4% | 35% | 14% | 18% | 33% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn | Someone Else | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victory Insights (R) [64] | January 4–6, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 35% | 40% | 25% |
Democrats, who have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, see an opening in the state due to the bitter and divisive primary fight in the Republican side, a potential midterm backlash against the Trump administration, negative approval ratings for President Trump in Texas as well as recent polling numbers showing competitive matchups. [67] [68] [69] [70]
State legislators
Statewide officials
State legislators
Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Michael Swanson (D) | $6,991 | $6,991 | $0 |
James Talarico (D) | $6,268,610 | $1,309,971 | $4,958,638 |
Colin Allred (D) | $4,933,179 | $3,142,537 | $1,790,641 |
Terry Virts (D) | $473,099 | $320,722 | $152,377 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [35] |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Colin Allred | Emily Morgul | James Talarico | Michael Swanson | Terry Virts | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 478 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 46% | – | 42% | – | – | 12% |
Public Policy Polling (D) [85] | September 3–4, 2025 | 510 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 40% | – | 32% | – | – | 27% |
Emerson College [55] | August 11–12, 2025 | 370 (RV) | ± 5.1% | 58% | 4% | – | 3% | 1% | 34% |
Texas Southern University [42] | August 6–12, 2025 | 1,500 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 50% | – | 43% | – | – | 7% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Colin Allred | James Talarico | Joaquin Castro | Jasmine Crockett | Beto O'Rourke | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 478 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 13% | 25% | – | 31% | 25% | – | 6% |
34% | – | – | 57% | – | – | 9% | ||||
38% | – | – | – | 55% | – | 7% | ||||
– | – | – | 51% | 41% | – | 8% | ||||
– | 34% | – | 52% | – | – | 14% | ||||
– | 39% | – | – | 54% | – | 7% | ||||
Texas Public Opinion Research [52] | August 27–29, 2025 | 270 (RV) | – | 13% | 7% | 4% | 26% | 27% | 5% [g] | 18% |
Texas Southern University [42] | August 6–12, 2025 | 1,500 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 38% | – | – | – | 58% | – | 4% |
52% | – | – | 41% | – | – | 7% | ||||
NRSC (R) [86] | July 4–7, 2025 | 566 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 20% | – | 13% | 35% | 13% | – | 18% |
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
Inside Elections [88] | Likely R | August 12, 2025 |
The Cook Political Report [89] | Likely R | August 18, 2025 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [90] | Likely R | August 12, 2025 |
Race To The WH [91] | Lean R | October 13, 2025 |
John Cornyn vs. Colin Allred
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | Colin Allred (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 48% | 46% | 6% |
Emerson College [55] | August 11–12, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 45% | 38% | 17% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 48% | 44% | 8% |
Ken Paxton vs. Colin Allred
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Colin Allred (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 48% | 47% | 5% |
GBAO (D) [92] [K] | August 13–18, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 49% | 4% |
49% | 50% [h] | – | ||||
Emerson College [55] | August 11–12, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 46% | 41% | 13% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 48% | 46% | 6% |
Brad Parscale (R) [61] | Mid–April 2025 | >1,000 (LV) | – | 37% | 52% | 11% |
Wesley Hunt vs. Colin Allred
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Wesley Hunt (R) | Colin Allred (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 50% | 45% | 5% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 47% | 44% | 9% |
John Cornyn vs. James Talarico
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | James Talarico (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 48% | 45% | 7% |
Ken Paxton vs. James Talarico
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | James Talarico (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 49% | 46% | 5% |
Wesley Hunt vs. James Talarico
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Wesley Hunt (R) | James Talarico (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 50% | 44% | 6% |
John Cornyn vs. Jasmine Crockett
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | Jasmine Crockett (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 50% | 44% | 6% |
Ken Paxton vs. Jasmine Crockett
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Jasmine Crockett (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 49% | 47% | 2% |
Wesley Hunt vs. Jasmine Crockett
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Wesley Hunt (R) | Jasmine Crockett (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 50% | 45% | 5% |
John Cornyn vs. Beto O'Rourke
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | Beto O'Rourke (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 49% | 46% | 5% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 49% | 43% | 8% |
Ken Paxton vs. Beto O'Rourke
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Beto O'Rourke (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 49% | 46% | 5% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 49% | 45% | 6% |
Wesley Hunt vs. Beto O'Rourke
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Wesley Hunt (R) | Beto O'Rourke (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Houston/Texas Southern University [38] | September 19 – October 1, 2025 | 1,650 (RV) | ± 2.41% | 49% | 47% | 4% |
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 49% | 43% | 8% |
John Cornyn vs. Joaquin Castro
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | Joaquin Castro (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 48% | 41% | 11% |
Ken Paxton vs. Joaquin Castro
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Joaquin Castro (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 47% | 44% | 9% |
Wesley Hunt vs. Joaquin Castro
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Wesley Hunt (R) | Joaquin Castro (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YouGov/Texas Southern University [46] | May 9–19, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | ± 2.8% | 48% | 42% | 10% |
John Cornyn vs. Generic Democrat
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | John Cornyn (R) | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stratus Intelligence (R) [57] [58] [G] | June 6–8, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 42% | 35% | 23% |
Ken Paxton vs. Generic Democrat
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Ken Paxton (R) | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stratus Intelligence (R) [57] [58] [G] | June 6–8, 2025 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 39% | 42% | 19% |
Generic Republican vs. Generic Democrat
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [b] | Margin of error | Generic Republican | Generic Democrat | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas Public Opinion Research [52] | August 27–29, 2025 | 843 (RV) | ± 4.6% | 48% | 43% | 9% [i] | – |
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