5 statewide races that could shape Texas on Tuesday night
Democrat James Talarico (left) and Republican Ken Paxton (right) are running for U.S. Senate in Texas. (FOX Local)
Texans head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in a number of statewide and local races.
At the top of the ticket is the race for U.S. Senate that could help shape the balance of the chamber.
Voters will also choose the top leader in the state and the second-in-command.
Here is a breakdown of some of the biggest races across the state:
Democrat James Talarico (left) and Republican Ken Paxton (right) are running for U.S. Senate in Texas. (FOX Local)
Texas Senate race: Talarico vs. Paxton
At the top of the ticket for Texas on election night is the race for the U.S. Senate between Ken Paxton and James Talarico for the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
Going into Tuesday, voters seemed split on the candidates, with many polls having the race as a dead heat.
Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994. The state hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen won reelection.
The seat is one that many feel could help determine the balance of power in the Senate. It’s one of 35 Senate races that will be decided Tuesday night.
Texas governor: Greg Abbott vs. Gina Hinojosa
Another heavily contested statewide race is for the next governor of the state.
Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking his fourth term in office and is being challenged by state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Hinojosa has spent five terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
Abbott has won each of his previous reelection contests by double-digits.
The winner of this race will have the ability to sign and veto bills that come from the state legislature. The governor also makes appointments to positions within the state, including the secretary of state, commissioner of public education and members of the Public Utilities Commission.
Libertarian Pat Dixon is also on the ballot. Dixon is a former Lago Vista city council member and the owner and operator of Dixon Process Automation Services, Inc. in Lago Vista.
Lt. Governor: Dan Patrick vs. Vikki Goodwin
The lieutenant governor is the second-highest state executive. They also preside over the state Senate and largely control which pieces of legislation are heard in the chamber. The position is often described as the most powerful in the Texas government. The office is in charge of the Senate agenda and standing committees and has the power to break ties and decide procedural questions.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth term in office. Patrick has chaired all three of Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns in Texas and his time in office has been spent pushing legislation that closely aligns with the Trump agenda.
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 to represent southwest Austin and Travis County. Goodwin serves as the whip or vote wrangler of the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus.
Anthony Cristo is the Libertarian candidate on the ballot. He is a high school teacher in San Antonio. Cristo unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2018 and 2020.
The Green Party candidate is Kevin McCormick. McCormick has a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Houston Law Center and worked as a high school math teacher in San Antonio. McCormick unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2016.
Texas Attorney General: Mayes Middleton vs. Nathan Johnson
Two state senators are looking to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton as the state’s next top prosecutor.
The office defends state agencies and statutes against legal challenges and puts out opinions interpreting state law. In recent years, the office has brought litigation against the federal government challenging federal policies and laws. Paxton has used the office to go after nonprofits, tech companies, pharmaceutical companies and big business.
Republicans would like to see the office in the hands of similarly-aligned state Sen. Mayes Middleton
Middle has been a state senator since 2023 and previously served in the Texas House from 2019-2023.
Nathan Johnson has been a state senator since 2019.
Libertarian Tom Oxford, a lawyer in Jefferson County, is also on the ballot.
Railroad commissioner: Bo French vs. Jon Rosenthal
The Railroad Commission does not regulate railroads in Texas. Instead, it oversees energy infrastructure across the state. The commissioners regulate oil and gas production, natural gas facilities, hydrogen, pipelines, coal and uranium surface mining.
Republican candidate Bo French is chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party and has a family-owned oil business in Midland. French recently came under fire for making racist comments about a photo of South Asian students celebrating during a University of Texas football game.
He previously faced calls to step down as Tarrant County Republican Party chair for posting a poll asking his social media followers whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to the county.
His opponent, Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal has spent four terms in the Texas House and has two decades of experience as an oil field mechanical engineer. Rosenthal recently made headlines after Republican political strategist Karl Rove said he was voting for the Democrat over French.
Libertarian Arthur DiBianca is also on the ballot. DiBianca is listed as retired on his candidate filings. He’s run for state House and Senate and U.S. House previously.
Polls are open on Tuesday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The Source: Information in this article comes from individual candidate pages, the Texas Secretary of State's Office and previous Fox Local reporting. Results are provided by the Associated Press. Race calls are made by the Associated Press. Information on results comes from the Texas Secretary of State's Office and are preliminary until certified by that office.