2024 Texas primary election live updates: Get latest unofficial voting results
Polls are now closed for the Texas primary elections. Here's where to find election results:
Find the American-Statesman's primary election results here:
10 a.m.: Nikki Haley drops out of GOP presidential primary
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced Wednesday morning that she is ending her bid for the GOP's presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump is now set to tackle the rest of the primaries with no major opponent.
Haley's announcement comes after an unsuccessful Super Tuesday, only winning Vermont with 49.9% of the vote. In her speech Wednesday morning, she congratulated Trump on his likely nomination, but did not endorse him.
— Lily Kepner
12:50 a.m.: Little leads with 100% of precincts reporting
With 100% of precincts reporting, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment defense attorney Mitch Little leads incumbent state House Rep. Kronda Thimesch, R-Lewisville, by 298 of 21,604 votes. The race marks a significant victory in the attorney general’s revenge tour against Republican House incumbents who voted to impeach him over charges of corruption and bribery. Ultimately, the Senate cleared Paxton of wrongdoing largely along party lines.
Little had previously served as Thimesch's campaign treasurer until he joined Paxton's legal team in the lead-up to the impeach trial in the Senate.
— Bayliss Wagner
12:30 a.m.: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan unable to secure reelection, heads to runoff
House Speaker Dade Phelan was unable to secure his reelection to his Southeast Texas district Tuesday night and will head into a runoff election against a GOP primary challenger backed by former President Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to unofficial results and both candidates.
David Covey, an oil and gas industry consultant and a marquee candidate for Paxton's revenge tour against House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year, came out on top in the three-person race, with Phelan securing the second spot to make it to the May 28 runoff after neither candidate received a majority of the vote.
— Hogan Gore
11:30 p.m.: Walker with narrow lead over incumbent Devine for Supreme Court seat
The gap between scandal-plagued incumbent Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine and his Republican challenger, Judge Brian Walker, has narrowed to just 0.6% with 65% of the total estimated vote counted.
“It's looking like we're going to win this race!" Walker wrote to the American-Statesman. "All glory to God!”
Devine did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— Bayliss Wagner
10:40 p.m.: Dade Phelan trails challenger by 1% in neck-and-neck race as votes keep trickling in
As election results continue to be reported in Southeast Texas, GOP primary challenger David Covey has an ever so slight lead against incumbent House Speaker Dade Phelan in the state House District 21 race.
Phelan is trailing Covey by 1 percentage point, according to the latest election results updated around 10:40 p.m.
Currently, Phelan has received 12,426 votes to Covey's 12,707, according to the latest results.
After taking his first lead of the night at 10:20 p.m. and losing it 20 minutes later, Phelan could likely be headed to a runoff with Covey in the three-person race. Alicia Davis sits in distant third with 11.16% of the vote.
To avoid a runoff, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the total vote.
— Hogan Gore
LATEST: Rep. Colin Allred clinches Texas Democratic nomination to challenge US Sen. Ted Cruz
10:10 p.m.: AP: U.S. House incumbents from Central Texas win races
Incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, has won the GOP primary for U.S. House District 17 in Texas with more than 85% support against challenger Joseph T. Langone, according to The Associated Press.
Incumbent GOP Reps. Michael McCaul of Austin and John Carter of Round Rock also clinched their party's nominations for House District 10 and District 31, respectively, the AP reported.
On the Democratic ballot, incumbent Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin secured the nomination for U.S. House District 37.
— Lily Kepner
10 p.m. update: Paxton-backed GOP primary candidate ousts Court of Criminal Appeals judge
Republican primary challenger Gina Parker has defeated incumbent Judge Barbara Hervey for a place on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, according to The Associated Press.
In securing the seat, Parker received just shy of 67% of the vote Tuesday night with more than 700,000 total votes.
Endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a broader effort to remove the three Republican judges seeking reelection over a previous appeals court ruling preventing him from prosecuting voter fraud cases, Parker will take a seat on the state's highest criminal court that had been held by Hervey since 2001.
Two additional Paxton-backed candidates — David Schenck and Lee Finley — also hold leads, which have grown throughout the evening, against incumbent Judges Sharon Keller and Michelle Slaughter, respectively.
— Hogan Gore
9:50 update: Troxclair leads against Paxton-backed opponent in House District 19 race
Incumbent Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, is coming out ahead of a Paxton-backed GOP primary challenger, Kyle Biedermann, and a third candidate, Manny Campos, for the Texas House District 19 office.
With 89% of the estimated vote total reported, Troxclair had thus far received 51.1% of the vote compared with Biedermann's 44.1% and Campos' 4.7%. To avoid a runoff a candidate needs to receive 50% plus one vote.
— Bayliss Wagner
9:45 p.m. update: U.S. Rep. Colin Allred clinches Texas Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, the former pro football linebacker who six years ago knocked off an entrenched Texas Republican to capture a Dallas area seat in Congress, vaulted to an outright victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, ABC News and NBC News declared around 9:30 p.m.
Allred bested a field of nine candidates and was burying his nearest rival, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, by a 4-1 margin, according to unofficial election returns. Allred can now shift gears and set his sights on the November matchup against two-term incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who easily dispensed with two comparatively unknown challengers on the GOP side.
— John Moritz
9:45 p.m. update: Garza holds 30-point lead as more votes come in
Incumbent José Garza has maintained his 30-point lead over his Democratic primary challenger Jeremy Sylestine in the Travis County district attorney's race.
The county's elections website has uploaded a new batch of votes, including votes from Tuesday, with Garza bringing in 38,000 and Sylestine receiving just under 20,000.
― Serena Lin
9:15 p.m. update: 'We're in for a very long night,' Gutierrez not giving up as Allred keeps early lead
Though the election returns coming from across Texas on Tuesday showed state Sen. Roland Gutierrez trailing U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, by double-digits for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, the state senator from San Antonio told supporters not to give up hope.
"I hope you're ready to stick around for a while," Gutierrez said in remarks posted on social media. "Texas is a really big state, and I've traveled every bit of it.
"We have yet to even get through the early vote in the state of Texas. So that's why we're in for a very long night."
― John Moritz
9:10 p.m. update: Darby leads against Trump and Abbott backed challenger
Rep. Drew Darby, one of 21 House Republicans who in November voted to strip a school choice proposal out of an omnibus education package, is successfully fending off a heavily endorsed challenger as early election night results continue to trickle in.
Darby currently holds 64% of the vote against Stormy Bradley, who has been endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott in his push to unseat those who voted against a school voucher program last year.
In recent days, former President Donald Trump and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also endorsed Bradley.
The bipartisan vote against the voucher bill effectively killed the package and any change of passage for the controversial school choice program, which would use public dollars to pay for students' private school.
Abbott then endorsed Darby's challenger Bradley, spending more than $670,000 in the last month to boost Bradley's chances according to campaign finance reports. This race was one of four Abbott spent heavily on to back pro-school choice candidates.
― Hogan Gore
9 p.m. update: Phelan trails challenger as early votes come in
In the political battle of his life, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan trails GOP primary challenger David Covey by more than 300 votes as election results continue trickling in.
Covey has thus far received 9,967 votes, or 46%, compared with Phelan's 9,629, or 44.48%.
House District 21 along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas has seen a barrage of Covey endorsements ahead of election day, including receiving support from former President Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton, following his impeachment by the House and subsequent acquittal in the Senate last year, has been on the attack against Phelan for months leading into Super Tuesday.
― Hogan Gore
8:10 p.m.: Cruz wins Texas Republican Senate primary
Incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz has won the Texas GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, The Associated Press reports.
On the Democratic ticket, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas was leading his opponents with more than 58% support, according to the Texas Secretary of State's Office reporting 39% of Texas counties results. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, had received just over 19% of the vote.
― Lily Kepner
8 p.m. update: Biden and Trump win Texas primaries, AP says
The Associated Press has called the Texas primary races for president for both parties, with Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump securing their parties' nomination.
― Lily Kepner
8 p.m. update: Paxton-backed challengers secure early lead in Court of Criminal Appeals races
Three Attorney General Ken Paxton-backed challengers seeking election to the Court of Criminal Appeals hold early leads over the incumbents in the state GOP primary.
With early and unofficial results coming in, the three challengers remain ahead of the incumbents with more than 275,000 votes accounted in each of the races. The results are not yet final.
Gina Parker, who is looking to unseat Judge Barbara Hervey, has collected 64% of the early vote. Challenger David Schenck leads in his bid to unseat the court's presiding judge, Sharon Keller, with 60% of the vote.
In a tight contest, Lee Finley has an early edge over Judge Michelle Slaughter with 52% of the vote.
Through the primary campaign season, Paxton singled out each of the incumbent judges over the court's 2021 decision prohibiting Paxton from prosecuting voter fraud cases.
― Hogan Gore
8 p.m. update: Texas Supreme Court race close, challenger Brian Walker leads incumbent
Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine is trailing Republican primary challenger Brian Walker by roughly 5,000 votes with 80 of 274 counties reporting, making a nail-biter out of an unusually competitive and scandal-ridden judicial race.
Walker has notched 51.4% of the vote thus far while Devine, who has sat on the state's highest civil court since 2013, had received 48.6% support, with 9% of the total estimated vote counted.
―Bayliss Wagner
7:50 p.m. update: Uvalde County is Gutierrez country
Uvalde County, which is home to the horrific May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School is repaying state Sen. Roland Gutierrez for his unwavering support of the families and victims.
Early returns show Gutierrez carrying more than 70% of the Uvalde vote. He represents the county in the Texas Senate.
― John Moritz
7:40 p.m. update: Two of three Texas State Board of Education incumbents lead GOP primary opponents
Early results show two of three incumbent State Board of Education incumbents leading over their GOP primary challengers.
Incumbent Tom Maynard, R-Florence, held just about 48% of the early vote. Round Rock school board member Mary Bone trailed him with about 40% of the early votes. D.C. Caldwell, a third candidate in the race who is running as both a Republican and Democrat, received about 11% of the early GOP vote. State Education Board's District 10 seat, which Maynard holds, encompasses Williamson County.
In North Texas, incumbent Pam Little, R-Fairview, led with almost 40% of the early vote for District 12. Little faces three challengers: Chad Green, Jamie Kohlmann and Matt Rostami.
Incumbent Pat Hardy, R-Fort Worth, trailed her GOP opponent Brandon Hall in the District 11 race. Hardy received about 45% of the early vote compared with Hall's 55%.
― Keri Heath
7:25 p.m. update: Big early lead for Colin Allred in U.S. Senate Democratic primary
With just a few counties reporting early votes in the Texas Democratic primary election for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred from Dallas is building a more than 7-1 lead over his closest challenger, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez from San Antonio.
The other seven candidates in the field are in the low single digits. These early vote totals are unofficial.
To avoid a runoff, a candidate must win an outright majority.
— John Moritz
7:20 p.m. update: Travis County voters give Garza early lead in DA's race
Incumbent José Garza leads in early votes for the Travis County district attorney's race, with 65% of the vote. With a 14,500 vote deficit, the results don't bode well for challenger Jeremy Sylestine.
— Serena Lin
Texas primary election results: Get real-time results for key Austin area and statewide races
Some Travis County voters say they faced glitches, delays
A data issue in Travis County left about 1% of registered voters unable to vote Tuesday morning, the County Clerk's Office confirmed to the American-Statesman in an email Tuesday night.
“The issue temporarily impacted a small number of voters in both parties,” the clerk’s office said. “Our team quickly identified the issue and pushed out a solution.”
The County Clerk’s office said voters were asked to wait for the issue to be resolved or offered a chance to vote provisionally.
The Texas Republican Party posted on X that some Travis County Republicans had not been able to cast ballots, but the County Clerk's Office said both parties were affected.
The Republican Party said that an update to the voter registration roll between early voting and election day caused the error, adding that they’ve alerted the Secretary of State’s office and Travis County elections office.
“We at the Republican Party of Texas Headquarters are actively supporting the Travis County Republican Party to resolve any current or further issues,” its post said.
The Secretary of State’s Office told the Statesman it has been in touch with the state GOP.
"Although we had limited problems during early voting, there were substantial reports of problems at four or more voting locations today with indications there were significant problems within the Registrar's office," said Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak. "We will seek complete and transparent answers to all pertinent questions about which voters were affected, why these problems happened and what is being done to fix them."
―Lily Kepner
More than 66,000 vote in Travis as of 6:30 p.m.
With about a half hour before polls close, more than 66,000 people had voted in Travis County on election day, according to the county clerk's office.
Polls close at 7 p.m., though voters who are in line will get to cast a ballot.
The Travis County Republican Party has opted to hand-count their primary mail ballots, the county clerk said in a news release. State law allows the party to take until 7 p.m. March 6 to finish counting its ballots. The county clerk will only receive these votes after the counting is completed.
All other ballots will be electronically counted, the clerk said.
―Lily Kepner
Two hours out from polls closing, most Travis County wait times are under 20 minutes
The countdown is on for the rest of Super Tuesday.
In Travis County, five polling locations have wait times of more than 51 minutes:
Riverbend Centre, 4214 N. Capital of Texas Highway, Austin
Gus Garcia Recreation Center, 1201 E. Rundberg Lane, Austin
Bee Cave City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway, Austin
Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway
Most wait times are 20 minutes or less, but about a dozen have wait times between 21 and 50 minutes:
Hendrickson High School, 19201 Colorado Sand Drive, Pflugerville
Old Quarry Branch Library, 7051 Village Center Drive, Austin
Grace and Peace Austin, 6301 Woodrow Ave., Austin
Howson Branch Library, 2500 Exposition Blvd., Austin
Flawn Academic Center, 2304 Whitis Ave. No. 338, Austin
Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin
Dan Ruiz Branch Library, 1600 Grove Blvd., Austin
Pleasant Hill Branch Library, 211 E. William Cannon Drive, Austin
Westoak Woods Baptist Church, 2900 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin
Sunset Valley City Hall, 3205 Jones Road, Austin
Austin Oaks Church, 4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd., Austin
To check wait times for your polling location in Travis County, see here.
For a list of election day locations, see here.
―Lily Kepner
Four hours left to vote: Travis County wait times up to 50 minutes
Super Tuesday is well underway, with just under four hours left until polls close.
In Travis County, most voting locations have a wait time below 20 minutes. The following locations have a wait time from 21 to 50 minutes:
Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway
Bee Cave City Hall 4000 Galleria Parkway, Austin
Randalls Flagship West Lake Hills, 3300 Bee Caves Road, Austin
Austin Oaks Church, 4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd., Austin
Westoak Woods Baptist Church, 2900 W. Slaughter Lane
Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin
UT Flawn Academic Center, 2304 Whitis Ave. No 338, Austin
PFISDD Rock Gym, 702 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville
To check wait times for your polling location in Travis County, see here.
For a list of election day locations, see here.
―Lily Kepner
Wait times in Williamson, Hays counties
In Williamson County, as of 3:10 p.m., most polling stations have wait times below 15 minutes. The three estimated to be between 15 and 45 minutes are:
Georgetown ISD Technology Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown (Republicans only)
Georgetown Annex, 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown
First Baptist Church of Georgetown at 1333 W. University Ave., Georgetown (Democrats only)
The only polling station with an estimated wait time of more than 45 minutes is:
Round Rock Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock
Find a complete list of polling station wait times in Williamson County here.
In Hayes County, as of 3:10 p.m., the polling places with available data are mostly below 20 minutes. The ones exceeding 20 minutes include:
Belterra Centre, 151 Trinity Hills Drive, Austin
Kyle City Hall, 100 W. Center St., Kyle
Hays County Elections Office, 120 Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos
For a complete list of wait times in Hays County, see here.
In Travis County, more than 111,913 ballots have been cast as of 3:06 p.m., putting unofficial turnout at 12.53%. Just under 43,000 are from today.
―Lily Kepner
Most Travis County voting locations have wait times of 20 minutes or less
With about seven hours left to cast votes in the Texas primaries, most Travis County voting locations are showing wait times of 20 minutes or less, according to the county's website. The Lakeway Activity Center at 105 Cross Creek, however, at 12:30 p.m. was reporting wait times of over 50 minutes.
Several polling locations have wait times between 20 to 50 minutes:
West Lake Hills Randalls, 3300 Bee Caves Road, Austin
Steiner Ranch Randalls, 5145 N FM 620, Austin
Christ Episcopal Church, 3520 W. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park
Lago Vista High School, 5185 Lohman Ford Road, Lago Vista
PfISD Rock Gym, 702 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville
Travis County polling locations and wait times can be found here.
— Bianca Moreno-Paz
Fact-check: Has crime risen under Travis County District Attorney José Garza?
Leading up to the polls opening on Tuesday, misinformation has been spreading online about crime in Austin in light of the Travis County district attorney’s race. Eleventh-hour accusations against candidates are not uncommon in tight races on election day.
Social media posts sharing an article from the news site The Free Press, founded by Bari Weiss, who also posted the story on X, formerly Twitter, have said that crime in Austin has “soared under a progressive district attorney.”
The story cites and links to an article by the real estate website HomeSnacks with an Austin crime analysis for 2023 that shows the rate is higher in Austin than in the country and Texas.
However, data from the Austin Police Department shows that most total crime numbers have gone down during Travis County District Attorney José Garza’s tenure.
The total number of crimes against persons in Austin has gone down every year in the city since 2020. Crimes against persons are generally violent crimes, such as homicides, assaults and rapes.
Crimes against property, such as robberies and auto thefts, have also gone down every year since 2020.
However, crimes against society, which include things such as drug violations, gambling and prostitution, have gone up and down since 2020.
Homicides in Austin have risen since 2020 and have not gone down to pre-pandemic levels.
This has largely followed a nationwide trend since 2020, when murder went up across the country. For 2023, Austin’s murder rate was lower than that of most large cities in Texas, previous reporting by the American-Statesman shows.
— Skye Seipp
Hays and Williamson counties polling stations seeing longer wait times
The Hays County election office, 120 Stagecoach Trail in San Marcos, and the Kyle City Hall, 100 West Center St., are seeing wait times over 20 minutes as of 11:45 a.m. The polling station in the Belterra subdivision, 151 Trinity Hill Drive in Austin, and the Precinct 4 office, 195 Roger Hanks Parkway in Dripping Springs, have a 10- to 20-minute wait. Voters can find other Hays County voting locations through this map or list on the Hays County website.
Several Williamson County polling stations are also seeing heavy foot traffic, with some waits up to 45 minutes long:
Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock
Wilco Hutto Annex, 321 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto
Georgetown Annex, 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown
Georgetown ISD Technology Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown
Voters in Williamson County can find their polling location on the county's website.
— Bianca Moreno-Paz
Elon Musk and Willie Nelson endorse their picks for Travis County DA
Elon Musk and Willie Nelson put forth their picks for Travis County district attorney. Tesla titan Musk urged Travis County followers on X to cast their ballots for Jeremy Sylestine, a middle-of-the-road Democrat, notable for his fundraising campaign's Republican donors. Country legend Nelson endorsed incumbent José Garza, noting he is "leading the charge to treat, not punish addiction." A Texas native, Nelson has previously been vocal about Democratic contenders, headlining Beto O'Rourke's "Vote 'Em Out" rally during the latter's failed run for the gubernatorial office.
— Bianca Moreno-Paz
Travis County DA, Austin Police Association hold dueling events ahead of Texas primary
In a news conference Monday, Travis County District Attorney José Garza claimed that a group of armed bikers followed and recorded people at his campaign events, saying that the group was trying to intimidate volunteers and scare them out of talking with voters.
Garza called the group “my opponent's supporters,” saying they had actively been promoting Sylestine’s candidacy on social media.
Sylestine, however, told the American-Statesman in a statement: “I have no idea who this biker group is. I’m aware through social media of some recent interactions between them, victim groups, and the Garza campaign.”
In a separate news conference Monday, the Save Austin Now PAC and the Austin Police Association, both critics of Garza’s tenure in office, featured multiple victims of violent crimes who spoke out against Garza’s “soft on crime” approach.
— Ella McCarthy and Skye Seipp
Travis County district judge race contested by former prosecutor and defense attorney
The race to be the 353rd District Court judge is also contested. Incumbent Madeleine Connor is being challenged by Sherine Thomas and Susana Castillo. Connor became the Democratic nominee in 2020 despite a history of running as a Republican and having been previously sanctioned by the court for being a “vexatious litigant.” Thomas, a former prosecutor in the Travis County attorney’s office, was a strong favorite in the Austin Bar Association poll. Castillo is a defense lawyer.
— Serena Lin
Bastrop, Hays and Williamson counties polling updates
Bastrop, Williamson and Hays counties' polling stations are showing minimal wait times. Williamson County had received 2,705 ballots as of 8:45 a.m., while Bastrop County has seen 486 votes cast. Early voters cast 44,640 and 8,075 ballots in Williamson and Bastrop counties, respectively. No early voting or election day data is currently available for Hays County.
— Bianca Moreno-Paz
Republicans crossing party lines to vote for Sylestine in Travis County DA race
The Travis County district attorney's race is among the most closely watched of those appearing on the Democratic primary ballot. Incumbent José Garza is being challenged by prosecutor turned defense attorney Jeremy Sylestine. Once seen as a long-shot candidate, Sylestine has picked up momentum in recent months and raked in high-dollar donations.
More than 50,000 people voted early in Travis County Democratic primary, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
Almost 3,500 people who previously voted in Republican primaries voted early in the Democratic primary, according to political consultant Derek Ryan. Ryan said it was likely due to the district attorney's race. Daniel Betts, the lone Republican candidate, had encouraged other Republicans to cross party lines to vote for Sylestine in the Democratic primary.
— Serena Lin and John Moritz
Travis County polling stations open and operating
Travis County polling locations are up and running as of 7 a.m. They will stay open until 7 p.m. tonight. Significant wait times are reported at two polling stations as of 7:30 a.m.:
Terrazas Branch Public Library, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St.
YMCA East Communities, 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd.
A full list of voting locations can be found here, and a map of the locations is displayed below.
— Bianca Moreno-Paz
Related story: Where do I vote? How to cast your ballot in the Austin-area on Super Tuesday
Welcome to Super Tuesday. Here's what you need to know.
Super Tuesday is officially here. Texas Democratic and Republican voters will pick their nominees for president, a U.S. Senate seat, 15 state Senate offices, all 150 state House seats, and an array of federal, state and local candidates seeking places on the general election ballot in November.
Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump are considered prohibitive favorites for a rematch this fall, and Texas, along with 13 other states participating in the Super Tuesday primaries, could help cement that matchup.
In Texas, the most closely watched statewide primary race is on the Democratic side as nine candidates battle for the right to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who faces only token opposition for renomination. Most polls have shown U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas comfortably in the lead and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio running second but well ahead of the rest of the field.
More: Texas Democrats hope to unseat Ted Cruz, but which candidate is best poised for the fight?
If no candidate captures a majority, the top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to a runoff.
Three places on the Texas Supreme Court and on the Court of Criminal Appeals are also being contested in both primaries. In the races for one seat on the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industries, incumbent Christi Craddick is being challenged by four candidates in the Republican primary.
More: Texas Supreme Court justice seeking reelection under fire for absenteeism, ethics concerns
During the early voting period, which ended Friday, Republicans outvoted Democrats by more than a 2-1 ratio. According to political data analyst Derek Ryan, about 148,000 more people voted early in the 2024 Republican primary than in 2020, when Trump was running for a second term.
On the Democratic side, early voting turnout this year was about 60% of that of 2020, according to Ryan's analysis. But four years ago, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination was not yet secured by Biden before the Texas primary.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone in line to vote by 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.
Voters should come prepared to present one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID:
Texas driver's license
Texas personal identification card
Passport
Texas handgun license
Military ID card
Citizenship certificate
Texas election identification certificate
A student ID, even from a public school or college, is not an acceptable ID for voting under state law.
Any otherwise qualified voter who cannot reasonably obtain one of the approved forms of photo ID can fill out a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration" at the voting location and present an alternative form of identification, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or voter registration certificate.
Follow along for live updates and results for key statewide and local races.
Polls open at 7 a.m. across Texas
Primary election voting will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on March 5 across Texas.
Fifteen states, including Texas, and one U.S. territory will also vote Tuesday, according to USA Today.
Where can I vote in Central Texas?
Travis County: Voters in Travis County can cast their ballot at any voting center where a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign is displayed, according to the county clerk's website. A full list of voting locations can be found here, and a map of the locations is displayed below.
Bastrop County: Voters in Bastrop County can find their polling location on the county clerk's website. Click here to view the Democratic consolidated sample ballot and here to view the Republican consolidated sample ballot. You can look up your personal sample ballot and registration status here.
Hays County: Voters can find Hays County voting locations through this map or list on the Hays County website. Click here to view the Democratic consolidated sample ballot and here to view the Republican consolidated sample ballot.
Williamson County: Voters in Williamson County can find their polling location on the county's website. Find sample ballots for Republican and Democratic candidates here.
Who's on the ballot in the Texas primary elections?
All Texas candidates running for a Republican or Democratic nomination for office can be found here. These are races on the Texas ballot for the March 5 primary:
President of the United States
U.S. Senate
All 38 Texas U.S. representatives
Railroad commissioner
Texas Supreme Court (three members)
Court of Criminal Appeals (three members)
State Board of Education (seven members)
Texas Senate (15 members)
All 150 Texas House representatives
Courts of appeals (various chief justices and justices)
District judges, criminal district judges
Family district judges
District attorneys
Sheriffs
County Courts-at-Law
County attorneys
Tax assessor-collectors
County commissioners
Justices of the peace
Constables
— John Moritz
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas primary election 2024 live updates: Get the latest results
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