Democratic state Representative James Talarico held an early lead over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race for the U.S. Senate, according to Houston Public Media. If Talarico maintains his advantage, he will become the first Democrat to win a statewide office in Texas since 1994.
Talarico leads in early Senate tallies
As of 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, Talarico was leading the contest, though KUT reported it was too early to call the race with most Election Day ballots still needing to be counted. NBC News provided preliminary figures showing Talarico with 3,279,504 votes, or 59.4%, while Paxton held 2,155,823 votes, or 39.1%. Libertarian candidate Ted Brown received 7,203 votes, or 1.39%, in Bexar County, according to KSAT.
The Senate race is a central focus of the midterm elections, pitting the former San Antonio middle-school teacher against Paxton, who has served as the state’s attorney general since 2015. Paxton, who secured the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in a primary runoff, has campaigned on border security and election integrity, MySA reported.
In Bexar County, early and absentee returns showed Talarico with 353,170 votes, or 68.02%, according to KSAT. In that same county, Republican Ken Paxton received 158,248 votes, or 30.48%, while Libertarian Ted Brown received 7,203 votes, or 1.39%, KSAT reported. These Bexar County figures do not include Election Day voting.
Gubernatorial race shows Hinojosa ahead in early returns
In the race for governor, early results indicate that Democrat Gina Hinojosa is leading incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. KSAT reported that Gina Hinojosa’s watch party was filling up, while The Dallas Morning News provided live election results.
Voter turnout and local results across Texas
Polling locations across Texas officially closed at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, USA Today reported. While most of the state observes Central Time, counties in the Mountain Time Zone, such as El Paso and Hudspeth, closed at 7 p.m. local time.
Turnout varied by region and county. In Bell County, officials reported that more than 26,384 voters had checked in to cast their ballot, according to local reports. In Nueces County, unofficial numbers from an early voting turnout report showed more than 78,000 ballots had been cast ahead of the November 3, 2026, General Election, KRIS 6 reported. At 1:30 p.m. in Bell County, officials noted that one of 42 voting sites had waits exceeding 45 minutes, while five sites reported waits between 16 and 45 minutes, and 36 sites reported no waits, KRIS 6 reported.
In Bexar County, the Elections Office stated that early voting turnout totaled 503,410, and Election Day turnout as of 7 p.m. was 136,124, MySA reported. In the Bexar County District Attorney race, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout is the candidate.
- In the Texas Panhandle, NewsChannel 10 is tracking multiple elections, including candidates for Potter County Judge Michelle Eggleston and Jerry Glover, and candidates for State Representative District 87, Caroline Fairly and Diana Loya, NewsChannel 10 reported.
- In U.S. Representative District 13, the candidates are Republican Ronny Jackson and Democrat Mark Nair, NewsChannel 10 reported.
- In Dallas County, voters decided on Proposition A, the Willow Bend Venue Financing Measure, at the Harrington Library in Plano, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Incumbents defend seats in state House and Senate races
The election includes various state House and Senate seats. In several races, incumbents are defending their positions. For example, Republican Keith Bell and Republican Wes Virdell are listed as incumbents in their respective races, according to Source 1.
In the U.S. Senate race, Ken Paxton is described as a staunch conservative with the backing of President Donald Trump, according to KUT. Paxton has served as Texas Attorney General since 2015 and previously served in the Texas House of Representatives starting in 2002 and the Texas Senate starting in 2012, Houston Public Media reported. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives impeached Paxton for alleged corruption, though he was ultimately acquitted by the Texas Senate, Houston Public Media reported.
Deadlines for remaining ballots
Election results remain unofficial until counties complete the canvassing and certification process. USA Today reported that domestic mail-in ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day may arrive by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, to be counted. The deadline for military and overseas ballots is Monday, Nov. 9, USA Today reported.