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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Get our free newsletters in your inbox three times a week.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, nearly 4.5 million Texans voted across the Democratic and Republican primaries, according to unofficial numbers on the Texas Secretary of State’s Office as of 8 a.m. Thursday. The turnout was divided between 2.3 million ballots in the Democratic primary and nearly 2.2 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 24% this year, according to the latest unofficial figures Wednesday afternoon.Since 1986, the SA Current has served as the free, independent voice of San Antonio, and we want to keep it that way. Becoming an SA Current Supporter for as little as $5 a month allows us to continue offering readers access to our coverage of local news, food, nightlife, events, and culture with no paywalls.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 25%, followed closely by the nearly 24% clip in the biggest liberal counties. Turnout was lowest — 16% — 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 duringSan Antonio super chef Andrew Weissman makes welcome return to fancy fare with Max’s SisterTurnout 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.The request from Republican congressional leadership comes a day after the San Antonio congressman admitted to an affair with a late staffer during an interview.Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...Everything we saw at San Antonio’s United We Brunch food festival
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