Early voting is under way in the primary runoff elections. All Texans have a lot at stake. Races on the parties' ballots include a U.S. Senate seat, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and more. These are powerful positions, and should be held by people who have your best interests at heart.
Unfortunately, very few voters generally take part in primary runoffs. In 2024, turnout was 2.35% on the Republican side and 1.49% on the Democratic side, according to Transparency USA.
Here's what that means for you: The impact of each voter is especially big in races like these. Even a tiny number of votes can swing a race. In 2024, a candidate won by five votes. If only three people had voted the other way, he would have lost.
I encourage you to take part. But first, educate yourself about the candidates — and make a strategic plan with the general election in mind.
How to Vote
If you participated in the Republican or Democratic primary, you may vote in the same party's runoff. If you did not take part, you may still vote in the runoff — and you have your choice of which party's runoff to take part in. Get more information about eligibility here.
If you supported a candidate in the primary and still support them, the runoff is your chance to help them secure the party nomination and proceed to the general election. Or maybe you've changed your mind since the primary and want to support the candidate's runoff opponent.
If you have your choice of which party's runoff to vote in, you may want to vote for the worse candidate, in hopes that that person will lose in the general election. For example, maybe you like Democratic State Representative Jon Rosenthal for the open seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. Bo French, a former GOP county chairman, is facing incumbent Jim Wright. You might vote for French because you believe Rosenthal will have an easier time beating him.
Of course, this is risky. The candidate you think would do a worse job could end up winning. But it's your vote, and you can do with it what you think is best.
The Senate race is getting attention across the country. Sen. John Cornyn is trying to hold onto it, and facing a runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Whoever wins the runoff will face Democrat James Talarico, a state representative.
As an outspoken critic of Paxton, I've already stated publicly that if he wins the runoff I'd vote for Talarico in November. That's not because I want to help Democrats. As a conservative who seeks sane, small government, I want to see both parties learn a lesson. They need to stop backing terrible candidates. If a Republican loses the Senate race, maybe the Texas GOP will finally learn.
Breaking the Duopoly
Of course, I'd prefer that we have more choices. Voting for the less bad of only two candidates can be a disheartening experience. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say a third major political party is needed.
I'm increasingly interested in how ranked-choice voting (RCV) could help our democracy. Research from the American Bar Association last year found that, "RCV is an improvement over plurality voting with clear benefits in terms of representation, campaign quality, mobilization, and turnout. Research shows that RCV encourages greater consensus building as well as more civil political campaigns."
I haven't decided exactly how I'll vote in the upcoming runoffs. But I know that I will take part. And before I go to the polls, I'll have a solid plan. I recommend that you do the same.