Texas is one of 16 states, along with one United States territory, that will hold its primary election on Super Tuesday, March 5.
The Lone Star State will have the second biggest delegate haul after California, with 150 delegates to be assigned based on the results of the primary and the other 11 at the statewide convention in May.
More than one-third of the total delegates available in both the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries will be won on Super Tuesday. On the GOP side, 854 of 2,429 will be at stake on Super Tuesday, and Democrats will award 1,420 delegates. Technically no one will lock up the nomination on March 5, but candidates can get close to the magic number of 1,215.
Former President Donald Trump has 122 delegates, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the last challenger on the Republican side, has only won 24. President Joe Biden has been awarded 206 delegates, and “uncommitted” has two after a protest vote campaign in Michigan.
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Which Democrat will challenge Sen. Ted Cruz
The Democratic primary for Senate has generated a lot of attention after former Rep. Beto O’Rouke lost to Cruz by three percentage points in 2018, although recent polling found Cruz may not be as vulnerable as previously.
The leading Democratic candidates are Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player and civil rights attorney, who has raised the most money and has a record of flipping Republican seats, and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who has gained more name recognition after he responded to the Uvalde school shooting that happened in his district.
Other candidates include Mark Gonzalez, a former district attorney; entrepreneur Heli Rodriguez Prilliman; tax consultant Meri Gomez; law professor Steven Keough; businessman A. Robert Hassan; and Democratic Party political organizer Thierry Tchenko.
While recent polling found Allred is leading Gutierez, with such a crowded field, there’s a shot the primary could ultimately go to a May 28 runoff election.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s revenge tour
After Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton survived an impeachment attempt led by his own party, after accusations of abusing the power of his office, he wants payback.
Paxton is targeting more than 30 Republican state lawmakers in the primary who voted to impeach him, and he’s also trying to remove three Republican judges on the state’s conservative appeals court who voted to limit his powers. Paxton is also getting help from former President Donald Trump, who repeatedly defended Paxton throughout the impeachment process.
Paxton is targeting more than 30 Republican state lawmakers in the primary, including House Speaker Dale Phelan. Paxton is also trying to remove three Republican judges on the state’s conservative appeals court who voted to limit the attorney general’s powers.
Last week, Trump endorsed four state House candidates (Liz Case, Mike Olcott, Helen Kerwin, and Alan Schoolcraft), who are challenging representatives who voted to impeach Paxton. The primary will be a test of Paxton’s political strength as he faces an April trial on felony security fraud charges and an additional federal corruption investigation.
Congressional District 12
After Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) announced she was retiring, a crowded primary race began to replace her in the overwhelmingly red district. Texas House Republican Caucus chairman state Rep. Craig Goldman is a favorite of the district’s local leaders. He has the endorsement of Gov. Greg Abbott and former Gov. Rick Perry. However, Goldman was one of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton, so the attorney general endorsed John O’Shea, a local business owner.
Other Republicans running in the primary in the district that includes Fort Worth include Army veteran Clint Dorris, business owner and engineer Shellie Gardner, and retiree Anne Henley.
Congressional District 23
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) is running for reelection for the first time since the Texas GOP censured him for breaking with the party over his positions on border security and gun control. He is now facing a large field of primary opponents who believe Gonzales does not represent the views of the district, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso.
Gonzales is facing Julie Clark, the former Medina County Republican Party Chair who was responsible for the measure to censure him; Brandon Herrera, a Second-Amendment activist on YouTube; Victor Avila, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations agent; and retired Border Patrol agent Frank Lopez.
The congressman, who has taken centrist positions, has a major financial advantage after raising $2.6 million last year. The closest challenger, Clark, raised $843,000 last year; however, most of the cash came from her own personal accounts.
Congressional District 26
In the GOP race to replace retiring Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), there are two front-running candidates leading a field of 11. Brandon Gill, who marketed his father-in-law Dinesh D’Souza’s election conspiracy documentary “2000 Mules,” has become prominent in the race. The other, John Huffman, the mayor of Southlake, has also gained attention by speaking out against racism and bullying in the school system.
Some of the other notable candidates include former congressional chief of staff Luisa Del Rosal, who is highlighting her experience leading Gonzales’s congressional office, and former Denton County judge Scott Armey, who is making another run after losing the primary to Burgess 20 years ago. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote on Tuesday’s primary, there will be a runoff election in May.
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Congressional District 32
After Allred decided to run for Senate, his seat in the 32nd district is now open, and there’s a crowded primary to replace him. There are a total of 10 candidates running, but state Rep. Julie Johnson and trauma surgeon Brian Williams are leading contenders.
Other candidates vying for the open seat include real estate broker Kevin Felder, businessman Raja Chaudhry, tech entrepreneur Alex Cornwallis, and attorney Callie Butcher. If no candidate gets the majority of the vote, there will be a runoff in May.
