WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) – Voters in Texas on Tuesday were choosing Democratic and Republican candidates for November’s midterm elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress for the next two years, in a state where races have been shaken up dramatically by an aggressive redistricting campaign.
Here are six races to watch on the first night of the midterm primary season:
CAIN, MEALER IN REPUBLICAN RUNOFF
State Representative Briscoe Cain and Alex Mealer, a former oil and gas finance executive and small business owner, will face each other in a Republican runoff in May, NBC projected.
Cain enters the runoff with Governor Greg Abbott’s endorsement, while Mealer has Trump’s.
The boundaries of the Houston-area 9th congressional district have been redrawn to heavily favor Republicans, enough so that incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Al Green is running in another district.
TIJERINA TO FACE INCUMBENT CUELLAR
Republican Tano Tijerina, a Webb County judge and a former Major League Baseball player, won the Republican primary in the 28th congressional district, U.S. media reported, and is likely to face Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, a 21-year House veteran.
Tijerina won endorsements from Trump and Abbott.
The San Antonio-area 28th congressional district was redrawn to make it more competitive for Republicans.
Cuellar, arguably the most conservative Democrat in Congress, faced years of legal troubles that made past reelection efforts more complicated. His legal woes eased in December when Trump pardoned him of charges including bribery.
VICENTE GONZALEZ’S TOUGH FIGHT
Representative Vicente Gonzalez has won the Democratic primary in the 34th congressional district, U.S. media projected, and is expected to have a fight on his hands in November because of redistricting that has made Republicans more competitive.
Gonzalez, who was first elected in 2017, has moved somewhat to the right on some immigration issues and voted for a bill banning transgender athletes from playing in girls’ sports, as his constituents have become more Republican-oriented in recent years.
Self-identified democratic socialist Etienne Rosas, a researcher and academic, was among those challenging Gonzalez in the primary contest.
Seven candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination. The top two are both named Flores.
Eric Flores, a former federal prosecutor in Texas, has won endorsements from Trump and Abbott, as well as other prominent Republicans. Mayra Flores, a former U.S. House member, subsequently was defeated twice by Gonzalez in general elections – and has lost Trump’s backing.
Nevertheless, she is banking on strong name recognition from voters.
TONY GONZALES FACES ALLEGATIONS
The primary for Texas’ 23rd congressional district, which runs from western San Antonio to El Paso along the Mexican border, has been shaken up by allegations directed at three-term incumbent Republican Representative Tony Gonzales, who local media has reported solicited explicit photos from an aide who later died by suicide. Gonzales denies the charges.
Gonzales’ main opponent is Brandon Herrera, a firearms manufacturer who calls himself “the AK guy.” Herrera is seen as more conservative than Gonzales, who angered many Republicans after he voted to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory and backed a 2022 gun-control bill that was enacted into law.
The winner of the Republican primary is heavily favored to win in November.
REPUBLICANS EYE DALLAS PICKUP
Texas’ 32nd congressional district, which includes Dallas, has been redrawn so dramatically in Republicans’ favor that incumbent Democratic Representative Julie Johnson has opted to run in a neighboring district.
The Republican primary features Jace Yarbrough, a lawyer specializing in constitutional law who has won endorsements from Trump, conservative campaign contributors and leading Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Other Republican candidates include Ryan Binkley, who staged an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2024; Paul Bondar, who ran for Congress in Oklahoma in 2024, and Darrell Day, the nominee for this seat in 2024 who labels himself the “MAGA candidate.”
LIBERAL AUSTIN DISTRICT REDRAWN
Redistricting has also made the 35th congressional district, which linked the liberal-leaning cities of Austin and San Antonio, more competitive for Republicans, enough so that the incumbent Democrat, Representative Greg Casar, is running in a different district.
Eleven candidates are seeking the Republican nomination, with four seen as the most competitive. They include state Representative John Lujan, who has Abbott’s blessing; former marketing professional Joshua Cortez; Air Force veteran and kickboxing gym owner Carlos De La Cruz, and Navy veteran Jay Furman, who lost to Cuellar in 2024.
Democratic candidates include: Johnny Garcia, a former sheriff’s deputy; Maureen Galindo, an organizer for tenants; John Lira, who has previously sought a seat in Congress, and Whitney Masterson-Moyes, who owns a sporting clays range.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Stephen Coates)
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