Early Voting in Runoffs Ends Friday

Early voting in both the Democratic and Republican runoff races ends Friday, May 22, with the election on Tuesday, May 26.

On the GOP side, the statewide runoffs are:

• U.S. Senate: John Cornyn and Ken Paxton

• Texas attorney general: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy

• Texas Railroad Commission: Jim Wright and Bo French

• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3: Alison Fox and Thomas Smith The statewide Democratic runoffs are:

• Lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez

• Attorney general: Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski There are also runoff races for several House seats, the State Board of Education, and Texas Senate District 19, which runs along the U.S.-Mexico border. Voters who cast ballots in the March GOP primary can’t vote in the Democratic runoff races, and vice versa. Registered voters who did not participate in the March primary can vote in either party’s runoff election, but not both.

Texas Oil Industry at War with Itself The GOP runoff race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission is pitting oil industry leaders against each other. Many small-scale oil companies are supporting former Tarrant County Republican Party chair Bo French because of incumbent Jim Wright’s efforts to lead reforms at the commission, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“I can’t support Jim Wright, because Jim Wright makes rules that are silly for lots and lots and lots of operators,” said Lance Thomas, manager of Albany-based Stasney Well Service. His company is suing the Railroad Commission over new rules about how oil operators manage onsite waste pits.

A political action committee associated with oil billionaire Tim Dunn, a conservative megadonor, has contributed at least $350,000 to French’s campaign. On the flip side, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and other major oil companies have contributed to PACs backing Wright.

French has drawn controversy for public comments he has made about Muslims and DEI.

Paxton Steps Up Investigations as Runoff Nears 

Attorney General Ken Paxton has steadily increased his lawsuits, investigations, and public threats around many of the conservative causes that energize Republicans, The Dallas Morning News reported. More than 100 news releases announcing such actions have been issued since early January. Critics say he is using the attorney general’s office for political gain rather than enforcement. Supporters say Paxton is pursuing the issues Texas conservatives elected him to champion.

“He’s been suing the pants off people. I like that,” said Laura Oakley, president of the Grapevine Republican Club.

The topics since the March primary included immigration, Islam, China, visa fraud, election maps, birthright citizenship and foreign influence, according to The News report. A spokesman for Paxton’s campaign called the review of Paxton’s investigations “garbage” and not “worth printing.”

Highlights