Texas voters on Tuesday decided the party nominations for several state and local races coming up on Nov. 8.
Texas voters had to decide who they wanted to run for attorney general and land commissioner on both the Democratic and Republican tickets and chose Rochelle Garza and Ken Paxton.
Republicans already decided the party's nomination for lieutenant governor (Dan Patrick) and comptroller (Glenn Hegar), but the Democrats need to secure their nominations for those races and selected Mike Collier and Janet Dudding.
Republicans also selected a nominee for railroad commissioner in incumbent Wayne Christian. He'll face Democrat Luke Warford who ran in the primary unopposed.
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Details on the races are below.
ROCHELLE GARZA WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Immigration attorney Rochelle Garza beat former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski for the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General Tuesday.
Garza earned more than twice as many votes as Jaworksi in March, but her 43% wasn't enough to secure an outright nomination. In the runoff, she held a 25-point lead with 79% of precincts reporting.
Garza, on Tuesday night, didn't talk about her primary win, but rather took the opportunity to acknowledge the school shooting in Uvalde and how as attorney general she would work to combat gun violence.
Democrats haven't won a statewide office in Texas since the 1990s. No matter who wins Tuesday, they could have an uphill battle in the November election.
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
PAXTON WINS REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton held off a heated runoff challenge from Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, despite facing a slew of legal problems, including an FBI investigation and a trial on securities fraud charges, and will represent the Republicans in the November midterm election.
Both NBC News and the Associated Press called the race for Paxton before 9 p.m. as he closed in on nearly 70% of the vote, before all of the precincts had been counted.
Bush issued a statement at about 9 p.m., saying things didn't go as planned but he'll continue his fight for the rule of law in Texas.
"Things didn't go as we planned. But after the tragic events of earlier today, it's important to keep life's temporary disappointments in perspective. There are grieving parents in South Texas today. My family and I are grieving with them," Bush said in a statement. "I want to thank my wonderful family, Amanda, and my boys for their patience and unwavering support. I want to thank my mom and dad … and my entire family for all their love and support. And I want to convey my deepest gratitude to all my supporters across this great state. My message to you is to never stop fighting for a cause that you believe is just. We will continue fighting for the rule of law in Texas. I trust and pray in Governor Abbott's ability to control the southern border and work to ensure the system of justice and respect for Texas laws are honored and maintained. May God Bless all of you, and may God Bless Texas."
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
Bush is the only member of his famous family still in office, but the loss means he will now exit in January. That will leave the Bush dynasty out of elected office for only one of the few times in the last 40 years.
The coming end of the Bush era -- at least for now -- came at the hands of a two-term incumbent still dogged by a 2015 felony indictment and a separate FBI investigation into an accusation of corruption. But importantly in Texas, Paxton had the backing of former President Donald Trump, who has mocked and antagonized the Bush family on his way to take their mantle as the GOP's standard-bearer.
Paxton, who has denied wrongdoing, is now within reach of a third term in Texas, where a Democrat hasn't won statewide office in nearly 30 years. More recently, the State Bar of Texas is weighing possible reprimands against Paxton over his baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
MIKE COLLIER WINS DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR TEXAS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
For the second time, businessman Mike Collier is hoping to unseat Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. After losing to Patrick in 2018 by about 5 points, he'll get another shot in November after beating Texas Rep. Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton) Tuesday in the primary runoff.
Collier issued the following statement late on election night:
“I entered politics because I could not sit on the sidelines as our elected leaders set our state on the wrong path: attacking our public institutions and restricting the freedoms we treasure. Ten years, three trucks, and half a million miles later, I am filled with gratitude for all the Texans I have met across our state and for their honoring me with the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor. Over the last year, I have met thousands of Texans who recognize that our state faces a crisis of competent leadership and agree that Texas needs a proven business leader—not a former shock jock radio host and partisan zealot—at the helm of our state government. This November, Texans will have to answer one simple question: are they better off now than they were eight years ago? With exploding property taxes, chaos at the border, a rickety power grid, our public schools suffering, and our constitutional rights under assault, the fact is Texas cannot bear four more years of Dan Patrick. And after the tragic events of today, we are reminded once again we can and must do better for the people of Texas. As Lt. Governor—instead of waging culture wars that pit Texan against Texan—I will focus on reforming our property tax system so Texans stop paying more so that corporations can pay less, securing our border, having the best public schools in America, and fixing the damn grid."
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
JAY KLEBERG WINS DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER
The Democratic race for Texas Land Commissioner was close in the primary and it was close in the runoff as well, with Jay Kleberg apparently coming out on top against challenger Sandragrace Martinez Tuesday.
Martinez was the top vote-getter in the primary, but it was Kleberg who apparently secured more votes in the runoff, earning the Democratic nomination for land commissioner.
Kleberg, a ranger and King Ranch scion, is also a conservationist, film producer and a former associate director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
He'll face the winner of the Republican runoff, Dawn Buckingham, in November.
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
DAWN BUCKINGHAM WINS REPUBLICAN RACE FOR TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER
In the Republican fight for the Texas Land Commissioner nomination, Dawn Buckingham easily won her runoff against challenger Tim Westley.
Buckingham was the top vote-getter in March, but with a crowded primary field failed to get above 50%.
Buckingham is a doctor and member of the Texas Senate since 2017. She was the first Republican from Travis County ever elected to the Senate and the first woman to be elected to represent District 24. Buckingham's biography says she's served as a volunteer firefighter, graduated from the Texas A&M Fire School and is an avid hunter and outdoorswoman.
Buckingham will face the apparent winner of the Democratic runoff, Jay Kleberg, in November.
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
JANET DUDDING WINS DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR TEXAS COMPTROLLER
Janet Dudding is the Democratic party's choice to unseat incumbent Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who has held the office since November 2014.
Dudding, a CPA who has spent her career auditing and accounting for state and local governments, held a 22-point advantage over challenger Angel Vega with 77% of precincts reporting Tuesday night.
Dudding will face Hegar in the statewide race this November.
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
INCUMBENT WAYNE CHRISTIAN WINS REPUBLICAN RACE FOR TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Incumbent Wayne Christian defeated challenger Sarah Stogner Tuesday night for the Republican party nomination for Texas Railroad Commissioner.
Christian, who has been the state's railroad commissioner since 2016, nearly punched his ticket for November in March, but with only 47% of the vote in a field of five candidates, he fell 3 points short.
Christian is a former state representative and served as the president of the Texas Conservative Coalition.
Stogner, a lawyer from the Permian Basin who worked in oilfield litigation, bills herself as a mom with oil and gas experience and not a career politician, earned 15% of the vote in the March primary and ended up with 35% in the runoff.
Christian will face Democratic challenger Luke Warford, who ran unopposed in the primary, in November.
Results from the primary runoff will appear in the box above.
