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Turnout in the Democratic primary outpaced that on the Republican side for the first time since 2020, a notable distinction given the draw of high-profile Senate primaries in both parties.
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If you find an error, email Voters stand in line at the Cody Branch Library polling location on primary election day in San Antonio on March 3, 2026.Nearly one in four registered voters in Texas cast a ballot in Tuesday’s primaries, a high-water mark for midterm elections in the state’s recent history, driven by electrifying momentum surrounding both parties’ races for U.S. Senate. In all, some 4.3 million Texans voted across the Democratic and Republican primaries, according to unofficial numbers on the Texas Secretary of State’s Office as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. The turnout was divided between about 2.2 million ballots in the Democratic primary and more than 2 million on the Republican side; it was the first time with higher Democratic turnout since 2020, when voters flocked to weigh in on the party’s open presidential primary. The energy across both parties this year was clear from the start. In the first seven days of early voting, the stateThe higher turnout on the Democratic side, despite the draw of spicy contests at the top for both parties’ ballots, has helped fuel Democrats’ hopes that backlash to President Donald Trump’s policies could propel them to their first statewide win since 1994. Democratic turnout was significantly higher than in 2018, the last midterm when Trump was in office. That March, about 7 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the Democratic primary, compared to 12 percent in this year’s intraparty contest. That November, then-Congressman Beto O’Rourke of El Paso A geographic analysis of turnout suggests there was political energy propelling voters to the polls virtually throughout the state. Nearly two-thirds of Texas counties — 158 of 254 — saw higher percentages of their registered voting population participate in either the Democratic and Republican primary this year compared to the 2022 primary, the most recent midterm. About 17% and 18% of registered voters participated in the 2018 and 2022 primaries, respectively, compared to about 23% this year, according to the latest unofficial figures Wednesday afternoon. The widespread propulsion was laid bare in the Tribune’s geographic analysis, which found the highest turnout came in the state’s solidly red counties — from bigger population centers like Lubbock County to the many sparsely populated rural counties — along with the fast-growing suburban counties such as Tarrant and Fort Bend. Both saw turnout north of 24%, followed closely by the nearly 22% clip in the biggest liberal counties. Turnout was lowest — 19% — in the border counties, though all four geographic buckets saw an increase in turnout rate from four years ago. To be sure, there were far fewer competitive races in 2022 — when the gubernatorial contest was the top statewide draw — compared to barnburner Senate and down-ballot races duringthis month. You have unlimited free articles remaining because we don't have a paywall.Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?Texans need the truth. Help us report it. Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?Apurva Mahajan is a data visualization fellow and a senior studying journalism and political science at the University of Maryland. He was editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Diamondback, and...Alejandro Serrano writes about Texas politics and government, with a focus on immigration and education issues. Since joining the Tribune, he has helped investigate the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, lived...
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