The Votes Are In: Texas Primary Results

Election Day for the Texas 2022 primary elections was March 1. Voters headed to the polls on the last day to cast their ballot. The Dallas Express compiled a list of highlights from the 2022 Texas primary results. Please note: these numbers have not been finalized and may change as the results trickled in on election night.

Most Texas statewide positions were on the primary ballot. It was also the first election that included the newly redrawn districts.

Unsurprisingly, the top of the Texas primary results showed Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke will face off in the November general election for the Governor’s seat. 

Abbott and O’Rourke dominated their party’s primaries. Abbott had over 66% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race at 8:06 p.m. O’Rourke had over 90% of the vote when the race was called at 8 p.m.

Governor Abbott was not threatened by either former State Senator Don Huffines of Dallas or former Texas GOP Chair Allen West. Both received under 12% of the vote when the race was called. 

O’Rourke did not have any serious primary challengers. He will face an uphill battle to unseat Abbott, who has raised over $50 million for his campaign. No Democrat has won a statewide office in 30 years. Still, O’Rourke came close in 2018 when he narrowly lost a U.S. Senate election to Ted Cruz. 

The Republican primary for Attorney General was expected to be among the most competitive, and it certainly was. 

The Texas primary results show that AG incumbent Ken Paxton will be held to a runoff. At the time of this writing, his opponent was not determined and may not be announced until later on Wednesday, March 2. 

Texas Secretary of State John Scott said Harris County election administrators told his office that “damaged ballot sheets” have slowed down vote-counting. The delay will prevent Harris County from releasing all its vote totals before the required 24-hour deadline. 

Paxton holds just over 42% of the vote, with 83% reported votes. While Land Commissioner George P. Bush had just over 22% of the vote and former state supreme court justice Eva Guzman had just under 18% of the vote share. That being said, Guzman is from Harris County and is expected to receive a significant boost once the county releases its entire vote totals. U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert is trailing behind the other Republican candidates with just above 17% of the vote. 

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton. However, it seems as though his opponents’ attacks on his legal scandals were enough to prevent him from receiving above 50% of the vote. Without breaking 50% of the vote in the Texas primary results, the Republican nominee for attorney general will go to a runoff election.

All runoff elections will be held on May 24. 

The Democratic primary for attorney general is also likely heading to a runoff. Rochelle Garza has 43% of the vote, with 66% reported votes. While Joe Jaworski has just below 21% of the vote, and Lee Merritt holds just over 18% of the vote share. 

Incumbent Dan Patrick, who Trump endorsed, handily won the Republican primary in the Lieutenant Governor’s race. The AP called the race at 9:19 p.m., when Patrick had over 75% of the vote. 

In the November general election, Patrick’s opponent is likely to be decided by a runoff. Mike Collier, whom Patrick defeated four years ago, has just above 43% of the Democratic Texas primary results vote, with 65% of the vote reported. Michelle Beckley has just above 29% of the vote, and Carla Bailey has above 27% of the vote. 

The Democratic primary race for U.S. Congress District 30, which consists of Dallas County, is close to being decided by a runoff. The district is considered a safe district for Democrats. State Representative Jasmine Crockett leads the group of nine candidates in the primary, with over 46% of the vote and 65% of votes reported. If Crockett does not reach the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff, her opponent will be Jane Hamilton, who holds nearly 19% of the vote. 

The Democrats in the primary are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who endorsed Crockett as her successor.

The Republican primary for U.S. Congress District Three, which includes Collin County and parts of Hunt county, is close to being decided by a runoff. District three is considered a safe Republican district. 

Incumbent Van Taylor narrowly holds just over 50% of the vote share, with 86% of votes reported. His opponent in a runoff would be Keith Self, a former three-term Collin County judge, who holds nearly 27% of the vote. 

The general election for Dallas County District Attorney will be between incumbent Democrat John Creuzot and Republican Faith Johnson. It will be a rematch of four years ago when Creuzot narrowly defeated Johnson, who was the incumbent at the time. Creuzot easily defeated his primary challenger, Elizabeth Frizell, while Johnson was unopposed in the Republican primary. 

In the Republican primary for Tarrant County district attorney, former criminal court Judge Phil Sorrells, endorsed by Trump, leads with just over 43% of the vote. Meaning there is a good chance a runoff will decide this race. State District Judge Mollee Westfall holds just above 29% of the vote, and former State Rep. Matt Krause, endorsed by Ted Cruz, is in third with just above 27% of the vote. 

The winner of that race will likely face former prosecutor Tiffany Burks, who leads the Democratic primary with just over 58% of the vote.

In the Republican primary for Tarrant County Judge, Tim O’Hare, who Trump endorsed, has opened up a big lead over former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. 

Meanwhile, incumbent Democrat Clay Jenkins will likely face local business owner Lauren Davis in the November general election in the Dallas County Judge race.

For a list of all Texas primary results, visit the Texas Secretary of State website.