With vote totals now fully reported across the state, it’s safe to say there were few surprises during Tuesday’s primary elections.
As expected, the state’s most high-profile race between immigrants rights attorney Jessica Cisneros and conservative Democrat Henry Cuellar has come down to the wire, with only 177 votes separating the two candidates in Texas’ 28th Congressional District.
Cuellar, who is slightly ahead, has already declared victory but Cisneros has yet to concede, and the margin is close enough for her to request a recount.
While the race is unlikely to be decided today, it continues to serve as an inflection point for Democrats in Texas and nationally, especially in the aftermath of yesterday’s shooting in Uvalde. Cuellar has maintained an A rating from the National Rifle Association for years, in addition to being the only remaining pro-life Democrat in the House. Despite those distinctions, Cuellar was endorsed by national Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.
In another closely watched congressional race, state Rep. Jasmine Crockett defeated former Biden campaign staffer Jane Hamilton by 21 percentage points. It will mean Crockett will easily be elected to Congress in her safely Democratic district in November.
In statewide elections, auditor Mike Collier comfortably defeated state Rep. Michelle Beckley for the chance to take on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in November in what was among the more heated statewide races after former staffers for Beckley spoke out against her.
The race for Attorney General is set, with Ken Paxton coasted to victory against George P. Bush, ending the enduring political dynasty of the Bush family; and former ACLU attorney Rochelle Garza defeated former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski by 25 points.
The closest statewide race for Democrats took place in the race for Texas Land Commissioner, where conservationist Jay Kleberg came out ahead of clinical therapist Sandragrace Martinez by six percentage points. Kleberg will now face off against state Sen. Dawn Buckingham who also comfortably won her Republican primary.
You can view a detailed view of the results on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
