UPDATE (9:25 P.M.): Winners and runoffs
There are still a lot of votes left out there to count, and those votes could make a significant difference in some of the closer races on today’s ballots in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.
But other races are already being called, with some general election match-ups already determined — some because there was only one candidate in that primary, but others because the primary races were tremendously one-sided.
Meanwhile, thanks to chaos and confusion caused by battling court rulings regarding the validity of the two-hour extension in voting in the primary, Democratic races contained within Dallas County will likely remain undecided for days to come — including the hotly contested and highly visible battle between District 33 U.S. House contenders Julie Johnson, the openly LGBTQ+ incumbent, and Colin Allred, a former House member who withdrew from the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate and threw his hat into the redrawn District 33 ring after Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett chose to forego a re-election bid for the House and run for the Senate.
The primary contests to determine the candidates for the race for governor next November falls into that second category. Democrat Gina Hinojosa will face incumbent Republican Greg Abbott after Hinojosa pulled in 61 percent of the vote (with 61 percent of the expected vote counted) in a nine-way race. With 58 percent of the expected vote counted, Abbott is cruising to an easy victory, avoiding a runoff in his 12-candidate race with 83 percent of the vote so far.
In the U.S. Senate race, with 59 percent of the expected votes counted, it looks like Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will face a runoff. So far Cornyn has 43 percent of the vote to Paxton’s 41 percent, with the remaining 16 percent divided between six other candidates.
With 62 percent of the expected Democratic vote counted in the battle to replace Paxton as attorney general, Nathan Johnson holds a comfortable lead, with 49 percent compared to Joe Jaworski’s 27 percent and Anthony Box’s 24 percent. But unless Johnson can squeak out another percentage point or two of a lead after the estimated 37 percent of the ballots still uncounted, that race, too, heads to a runoff.
About 61 percent of the expected votes have been counted in the four-way Republican race for AG, it appears certain that Mayes Middleton (41 percent) and Chip Roy (30 percent) face a runoff, as well.
Runoff election day for the primaries will be May 26, with early voting from May 18-22.
— TN
UPDATE (9:36 P.M.) : Some Dallas County LGBT early voting results
Three LGBT candidates ran for justice of the peace positions. Sara Martinez should be reelected with 65 percent of the early vote. Omar Narvaez came in first but will be in a runoff with Katelyn Logie. Brandon Vance came in third in his race.
Demarcus Offord, in a three-way race for county clerk, came in first with 41 percent of the vote. Known for his work in Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson’s office, Offord’s race will be decided in a runoff.
Stephanie Hudson should be declared the winner in her race for criminal district judge with 62 percent of the early vote.
Tonya Parker won her race to run for district judge. She ran unopposed.
Nickolas Palmer, running for the nomination for court of appeals, only received 32 percent of the early vote.
State Rep. Venton Jones received 52 percent of the early vote in a 3-way race.
– DT
UPDATE (9:22 P.M.): Allred leads Johnson
Colin Allred received 46 percent of the early vote. Julie Johnson received 34 percent of the vote. Primary day voting is not included but without a major change, Allred and Johnson are headed to a runoff. The Supreme Court decision on whether to allow the extended voting period could hold up final vote counts for days.
– DT
UPDATE (9 P.M.): Supreme Court stay voting extension in Dallas
The Texas Supreme Court stayed the decision to extend voting in Dallas County’s Democratic primary. Votes cast after 7 p.m. will be separated and the court will decide what to do with them later this week.
— DT
UPDATE (8 P.M.): Hinojosa, Abbott running away with governor’s race primaries
As of 8 p.m., with about 36 percent of the expected vote counted, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa has a runaway lead in the nine-way Democratic Primary for Texas governor, claiming 62 percent of the votes, a 50 percent-plus lead over her closest competitor, Chris Bell, who has 11.3 percent
The GOP Primary results so far tell a similar story. With 33 percent of the expected vote counted, incumbent Greg Abbott leads with 82 percent, an advantage of more than 70 percent over his nearest competitor, Pete Chambers who has 2 percent.
The Austin American-Statesman has just called that race for Abbott. There were 12 Republicans running for governor.
— TN
UPDATE (7:37 P.M.): High Democratic turnout in Dallas County; Crockett leading Talarico, Cornyn leading Paxton in senate primaries
While Dallas County Democratic Primary results are being delayed due to court-ordered extended polling hours, the numbers in both Democratic and GOP races are beginning to trickle in. Voting numbers as of 5 p.m., however, do show that the trend from early voting definitely carried over into Election Day, with more than twice as many Democrats as Republicans having voted so far in Dallas County.
According to early results compiled by the Austin American-Statesman, in early voting from 15 counties — most in North Texas — Jasmine Crockett is leading James Talarico 54 percent to 45 percent in the Democratic Primary race for U.S. Senate. On the GOP side of the Senate race, with early results in 12 counties — again primarily in North Texas — incumbent Sen. John Cornyn leads Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 45 percent to 39 percent.
In another closely-watched race for LGBTQ+ voters and their allies, extended voting hours for Democrats mean there are no results yet in the three-way race between incumbent Congresswoman Julie Johnson, the first openly-LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from the South, former Congressman Colin Allred and Zeeshan Hafeez. Among the Republican candidates for that race, Patrick Gillespie has claimed an early lead with 30 percent of the votes, compared to 22 percent for John Sims and 22 percent for Monte Mitchell.
— TN
UPDATE (6:29 P.M.): Dallas County Dems extend voting hours, results will be delated
In response to hundreds of voters in the county showing up at the wrong polling place and long lines in the Democratic primary, a district judge ordered polls in the county to remain open until 9 p.m.
Because of the extended hours, no returns will be available until 9 p.m.
— David Taffet
UPDATE (5:06 P.M.): Watch Party
The Dallas County Democratic Party is hosting an Election Night Watch Party at Community Beer Company, 3110 Commonwealth Drive in Dallas. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and results are expected to start coming in about 7 p.m. as polls close. The Dallas County party chair will speak at 7:30, and the event will continue through 10 a.m.
Elected officials expected to attend include Congresswoman Julie Johnson, former Congressman Colin Allred, Congresswomen Jasmine Crockett, a representative for state Rep. James Talarico, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County Commissioner Andy Sommerman, Dr. Freddie Haynes (tentative) and other Dallas County Democratic candidates, elected officials and party leadership.
Community Beer Company is located in the Design District near Stemmons Freeway, The watch party will be held on the first floor in the Flex Space, adjacent to the taproom. Guest parking at the venue is free and open to the public, but those attending are asked not to part next to the silos, loading docks or dumpsters. Overflow parking is available through the gates of Pegasus Park. which will still be open when the event ends.
— TN
ORIGINAL POST: Polls in both the Democratic and Republican Texas Primaries begin closing at 7 p.m., and early vote totals are expected to be posted soon after. Dallas Voice will be 9 here throughout the evening, providing updates on results in races key to our LGBTQ+ community. Watch this space as we will, rather than creating new posts each time, just add updates to the top of this post.
— Tammye Nash