AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- It's election day for Texas' primary runoffs, as last week's early voting totals exceeded expectations among Republicans.
Analysts say it's little surprise, with the race fueled by a high-stakes clash for the U.S. Senate that has drawn the direct intervention of President Donald Trump.
According to data released by the Texas Secretary of State’s office, 829,119 Texans cast mail-in and in-person ballots in the Republican primary during the early voting period. The figures represent a massive surge in GOP participation, marking a 103% increase over the 2020 Republican primary runoff and a 77% jump from 2022. Most notably, the turnout reflects a 230% increase compared to the primary figures seen earlier in 2024.
The surge is largely attributed to the intensifying battle between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The two were forced into a runoff after the March primary, where Cornyn led Paxton by a narrow margin of fewer than 20,000 votes.
The race shifted dramatically last week when President Trump broke his silence to endorse Paxton. On Sunday, Trump escalated his rhetoric on social media, praising the Attorney General while sharply criticizing Cornyn for alleged disloyalty and a failure to support the "SAVE AMERICA ACT" during his presidency.
Cornyn, who expressed surprise at Trump's endorsement of Paxton, maintained confidence in his path to victory. He argued that he remains the party’s strongest option for the general election, framing Paxton’s legal and political history as a significant liability that could put the seat at risk in November.
Paxton has countered by framing Cornyn as a career politician whose time has passed. At a campaign event in San Antonio last week, Paxton questioned Cornyn’s 42-year record of public service, telling supporters it was time for the incumbent to step down.
The Republican victor will face Democratic State Representative James Talarico in the general election. Talarico, who secured his party’s nomination in March by defeating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, reacted to Trump’s endorsement by framing the upcoming contest as a fight against "billionaire mega-donors" and a "corrupt political system."
As far as Tuesday's voting, while voters who participated in the March primary must stick to their original party’s runoff, those who did not vote in the primary are still eligible to cast a ballot in either party’s contest.
