Primary Runoff Day Overview

Texas will hold its 2024 runoff elections on May 28 to determine which Democratic and Republican primary candidates will appear on the November general election ballot. During the March 5 primaries, no candidate received over 50% of the vote in 32 races, necessitating runoffs between the top two finishers. The winners will compete against the other major party’s nominee in November, and potentially against Libertarian and Green Party candidates. Independent and write-in candidates have until the summer to file.

Key Points:

• Date of Runoff Elections: May 28, 2024.
• Reason for Runoffs: No candidate received over 50% in 32 races during the March 5 primaries.
• Candidates: The runoff will feature the first and second place finishers from the primaries.
• General Election Competition: Winners will face nominees from the other major party, and possibly Libertarian and Green Party candidates.
• Independent/Write-in Candidates: Deadline to file candidacies is in the summer.
• Races Included: Congressional, legislative, and state board of education runoffs.
• No Statewide Runoffs: This year, there are no runoffs for any statewide positions.

What to Expect:

The candidates competing in the May 28 runoff elections will be finalizing their campaigns to secure their party’s nomination for the November general election. Voter turnout and engagement will be crucial as these elections often have lower participation compared to the initial primaries. The results of these runoffs will shape the final ballot and set the stage for the general election in November.

Key Runoffs:

• District 21: Speaker Dade Phelan faces a significant challenge from oil and gas consultant David Covey. Phelan, who led the effort to impeach Paxton, was censured by the Texas GOP. Covey, endorsed by Paxton and former President Trump, led the March primary with 46% to Phelan’s 43%.

• District 33: Former Trump adviser Katrina Pierson aims to unseat Rep. Justin Holland. Pierson, backed by Abbott and Paxton, narrowly led the primary with 40% to Holland’s 39%.

Other Notable Runoffs:

• District 12 Congressional: Abbott and Paxton support different candidates in the race to replace retiring Rep. Kay Granger.
• District 23 Congressional: Incumbent Tony Gonzales seeks re-election, facing Brandon Herrera. Gonzales, who has broken with the GOP on several key votes, is endorsed by Abbott. He was censured by the state party in 2023.
• District 28 Congressional: Retired Navy officer Jay Furman and rancher Lazaro Garza vie for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who faces legal issues along with his wife. Rosie Cuellar, his sister, is in the Democratic runoff for state House District 80.

Election Details:

• Date and Time: The Texas primary runoff election is Tuesday. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET in most of Texas, 9 p.m. ET in parts of West Texas).
• Ballot Content:  32 races, including eight U.S. House, three state Senate, 19 state House, and two state Board of Education runoffs.

Voting Rules:

• Who Can Vote: Only voters who participated in a party’s March 5 primary can vote in that party’s runoff. Those who did not vote in the primary can vote in either runoff. Voters must be registered in the district holding the runoff.

Election Process:

• Turnout and Counting: Runoffs generally see lower turnout, which can delay results in competitive races, especially in smaller districts. Results for districts spanning both Central and Mountain time zones will be finalized after 9 p.m. ET.
• Result Declaration:  Texas mandates automatic recounts for tied votes. Candidates can request recounts if the margin is less than 10% of the leader’s vote.

Current Voter Statistics:

• Registered Voters: 17.9 million as of March.
• Primary Turnout: Nearly 13% in the Republican primary and just over 5% in the Democratic primary. Early voting was significant, with 53% of Republican and 61% of Democratic primary voters casting ballots before primary day.
• Early Voting for Runoffs: By Wednesday, 148,477 ballots were cast in Republican runoffs and 89,981 in Democratic runoffs. Early in-person voting runs through Friday.

Vote Counting Duration:

• March 5 Primary: Initial results were reported at 8 p.m. ET. Tabulation concluded at 5:46 a.m. ET, covering over 99% of votes.

Countdown to General Election: There are 161 days from Tuesday until the November general election.