Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is seeking his third term in office, but as he awaits trial on securities fraud and faces an FBI corruption investigation, he faces three primary challengers.
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman are also running for the Republican nomination.
Late Tuesday it appeared Paxton would head to a runoff with one of his three challengers, all of whom were separated by about five percentage points as of 10:30 p.m.
Paxton did not participate in a debate with the other three candidates last week.
"When it comes to Ken Paxton, let's talk about his absences," Bush said. "He was gone during the winter storm, and he refuses to disclose his texts, his emails, his phone calls, and he continues to evade grassroots conservatives and not show up to any debates."
On issues, Bush said he would not have challenged the 2020 presidential election results in four other states.
"It was a frivolous lawsuit. As constitutional conservatives, we stand for the 10th amendment," he said.
Gohmert said nominating Paxton would lead to Democrats winning the office.
"He's likely going to be indicted after the primary when we can't replace him," Gohmert said.
When asked if she would have challenged the 2020 election results, Guzman did not answer, instead, talking about Bush.
"Let's be very clear: George waited seven years before he decided the border was an urgent situation," she said.
On abortion, Guzman said she would "champion" laws that say life begins at conception.
"Whether or not it is constitutionally sound is before the U.S. Supreme Court," she said. "I want Texans to know that as attorney general, I will never turn my back on the unborn."
Bush said he believed life begins at conception and would "advocate" for the law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, saying he would "wear my Christianity on my sleeve" as attorney general.
"It appears the debate will be whether or not we overturn it and move this back to the states like Justice (Brett) Kavanaugh has suggested or Chief Justice (John) Roberts can get just one more vote to redefine 'viability,'" Bush said.
Democratic candidates Rochelle Garza, a South Texas attorney, and Joe Jaworski, the former mayor of Galveston, met for a debate in Denton last week.
As of 10:30 p.m., it appeared Garza and Jaworski would meet in a runoff election, as the only two candidates to receive more than 21% of the vote.
Jaworski said Paxton's office handled pandemic restrictions poorly and that restrictions on abortion have kept Texas in court.
"You want to do something about it, so let's go vote," he said. "But they made it harder for you to vote. Senate Bill 1 made it even harder for you to help someone vote."
Garza said she has experience in constitutional, family and immigration law.
"I know what it's like to build up a case and fight for someone who has been overlooked," she said.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt is planning an election results watch party at Gilley's in Dallas Tuesday evening. He met with Beto O'Rourke, who is running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and voters in Houston Monday.
"It's on us. we need you out here, we need your energy," he said in a video he posted at a polling place. "If you've already done your part, like so many of you have done, go tell a friend to tell a friend. Go tag someone, get the folks out here at the poll."
Democrat "T-Bone" Raynor does not have a campaign website.
The Texas Secretary of State said turnout in early voting was 9.6%. Combined turnout in early voting and election day in the primary four years ago was 17.2%.
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