(The Center Square) – The Texas Democratic Party broke records this primary election, with higher voter turnout reported and Democrats fielding candidates in every race statewide.
Tuesday’s election marked an “historic milestone for our party and our state. For the first time ever, Democrats will field a candidate in every race in all 254 counties across Texas,” the party said in a statement on Wednesday. “The momentum we witnessed last night is only the beginning.”
During early voting, more people voted in the Democratic than Republican primary by a margin of nearly three to one, The Center Square reported.
Democratic candidates running in every race represented “a powerful symbol that no community is being written off and no voter is being ignored. From rural towns to major metropolitan areas, this is what a truly statewide movement looks like,” the party said. “From local races to the top of the ballot, our nominees reflect the strength, talent, and values of communities across Texas.”
On Tuesday night, State Rep. James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are heading to a runoff.
Crockett on Tuesday night blamed Republicans for voting irregularities in Dallas County stating, “We’re not going to have election results tonight … based on what specifically is taking place in Dallas County. Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. They specifically targeted Dallas County and I think we all know why. I have no idea of when we’re going to get results, and I fully anticipate it won’t be until tomorrow.”
On Wednesday morning, she conceded to Talarico, stating “Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win. I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect democrats up and down the ballot.”
In Dallas and Williamson counties, voters stood in long lines, were turned away or sent to the wrong polling places, creating confusion after both counties implemented voting location rule changes, eliminating centralized voting locations. This meant Democratic and Republican voters had to vote in assigned neighborhood polling locations unlike in previous elections.
Two Williamson County polling locations were court ordered to remain open until 10 pm, the county said, stating voters must be assigned to those locations. In Dallas County, a court injunction was imposed until 9 p.m. but the Dallas County Republican Party said, “Dems secured a court injunction to keep polls open until 9 PM, bypassing the Election Dept. While the Dept must comply with the judge, the GOP reportedly plans to stop voting at the original 7 PM deadline per their contract.”
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Dallas County to separate votes cast by voters who weren’t in line by 7 pm, temporarily blocking the district court’s order, after Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office intervened. Paxton was criticized with voter interference in a race in which he was on the ballot.
This primary race “underscored the growing enthusiasm and participation among Democratic voters across Texas — particularly in Dallas and Williamson Counties — where voters showed up in strong numbers despite obstacles that made casting a ballot more difficult,” the Texas Democratic Party said. It said the changes implemented “would strain polling locations and create unnecessary barriers to the ballot box. Yet even in the face of those challenges, voters refused to be discouraged. They persisted, and they made their voices heard. That energy sends a clear message: Texans will not be intimidated, silenced, or pushed aside.”
The counties spent more than $1 million to notify voters about the change prior to the election, which Democrats argue was a waste of taxpayer money and voter suppression.
Statewide, the majority of incumbent congressional Republicans won their primaries, with several races heading to runoffs, The Center Square reported.
Republican incumbents Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and several others won their respective races by landslides and are expected to win in November.
Of the more than 18.6 million registered voters in Texas, roughly three million voted in the primary election, including mail ballots, according to unofficial results. Voter turnout was low across the board.
In a special election in Houston and in north Texas last month, Democrats won their races despite extremely low voter turnout. One win was expected, the other was a major upset in a state legislative race in a Republican majority district, The Center Square reported.
